What's happened
Israeli authorities demolished a large Palestinian building in Silwan, East Jerusalem, citing lack of permits. The demolition, the largest in 2025, displaced around 100 residents and drew international criticism amid ongoing tensions over land rights and settlement policies.
What's behind the headline?
The recent demolitions in Silwan exemplify Israel's systematic approach to displacing Palestinians under the guise of legal enforcement. The fact that these structures were under discussion for legalisation before being destroyed indicates a pattern of preemptive action aimed at clearing land for settlement expansion. The timing—just hours before meetings to legalise the buildings—suggests political motives aligned with settlement interests. International law considers East Jerusalem occupied territory, and these demolitions are widely viewed as part of a broader strategy to ethnically cleanse Palestinians from their historic land. The aggressive deployment of police and military forces, coupled with arrests and violence, underscores the coercive environment Palestinians face. This policy risks escalating tensions and further entrenching conflict, with potential for increased international condemnation and local unrest. The ongoing displacement of hundreds of families this year alone signals a worsening crisis that threatens the future viability of a two-state solution and the stability of Jerusalem itself.
What the papers say
Sky News reports that the demolition in Silwan was based on a 2014 court order, with residents claiming they were given little time to legalise their homes. The Times of Israel highlights that the building housed 90 people and was the largest demolition of 2025, with clashes erupting during the eviction process. Al Jazeera emphasizes the military's forceful tactics, including stun grenades and tear gas, framing the event as part of a systematic displacement campaign. All sources agree that the demolitions are politically charged, aimed at consolidating Israeli control over East Jerusalem, and are criticized internationally as violations of Palestinian rights and international law. The Israeli authorities defend the actions as legal and necessary for urban planning, but critics see them as part of a broader settler-colonial strategy.
How we got here
The demolitions in East Jerusalem are part of a long-standing Israeli policy targeting structures built without permits, which Palestinians face significant obstacles obtaining due to restrictive planning policies. These actions are often viewed as part of broader efforts to consolidate Israeli control over the city and displace Palestinian residents, especially amid heightened tensions following recent settlement approvals and military operations in the West Bank.
Go deeper
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East Jerusalem (Arabic: القدس الشرقية, romanized: al-Quds ash-Sharqiya; Hebrew: מִזְרַח יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, romanized: Mizraḥ Yerushalayim) is the portion of Jerusalem that was held by Jordan after the 1948 Arab–Israeli War,
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The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs, are an ethnonational group comprising the modern descendants of the peoples who have lived in Palestine continuously over the centuries and who today are largely culturally and
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Silwan or Siloam is a predominantly Palestinian neighborhood in East Jerusalem, on the outskirts of the Old City of Jerusalem.
It is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament; in the latter it is the location of Jesus' healing the man blind from