Palestinians in Selwan town are determined to foil occupation settlement plans

Occupied Jerusalem, (ST): The town of Selwan to the south of Al-Aqsa Mosque has been subject to systematic attacks by the Israeli occupation troops and extremist settlers with the aim of displacing its inhabitants, demolishing their houses and judaizing the area in  flagrant violation of the UN relevant resolutions, especially the UNESCO resolution which put the old town in Jerusalem on the World Heritage List.

Ahmad Samrin, one of the locals of Al-Rababeh Valley in Selwan said” We won’t leave our land, we are deeply-rooted here and we will firmly confront the Israeli occupation which is using live ammunition and gas bombs against us. We will continue to defend our homeland firmly.”

He added that the occupation troops arrested six members of his family when they were confronting the Israeli bulldozers which came to demolish Palestinian houses and raze Palestinian agricultural lands with the aim of implementing sinister expansionist plans.

Mohammad Al-Za’el, who has an olive and citrus field in Al-Rababeh Valley, said” The Israeli aggressive attacks won’t force us to leave our lands and we will sacrifice our souls for the sake of our land.”

Member of the defence committee in Selwan Khaled Abu Tayeh said that the area of Al-Rababeh Valley is estimated to be 350 Dunums planted with olive and fruit trees, noting that all the houses of the town were threatened with demolition by the occupation authorities.

He referred to the historic and strategic importance of the Valley as it includes Roman, Canaanite and Arab Islamic antiquities and it is only 400 meters away from Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Abu Tayeh added that the occupation authorities seized about 100 Dunums of the Valley during the past few years to construct a new settlement block and they have been burning many areas in the valley especially those close to Al-Aqsa Mosque to seize more lands and implement their Judaization plans of Jerusalem city and change its demographic status in implementation of the so-called deal of the century.

He affirmed that the Palestinians staged a sit-in tent in Selwan town to confront the occupation Judaization plans despite the repressive practices of the occupation troops and the arrest of scores.

The specialist in Jerusalem affairs Fakhri Abu Diyab said that the occupation authorities were executing three settlement plans in Selwan as part of the sinister plan to Judaize occupied Jerusalem and forge its history.

Director of Jerusalem International Centre Hassan Khater said that the occupation authorities announced last year plans to construct 21000 settlement units in occupied Jerusalem and this threatens the displacement of thousands of Palestinians within the framework of accelerated measures taken by the occupation authorities to advocate occupation and impose a new status quo, noting that the town of Selwan is a historic and civilization symbol of the city of Jerusalem, and this requires the international community, especially the UNESCO to shoulder their responsibility and break their silence towards the sinister Judaization plans.

Member of the politburo of the Palestinian Front for the Liberation of Palestine Mariam Abu Daqa warned against the adverse consequences of the Judaization process which aims to obliterate the Arab Islamic features of occupied Jerusalem, stressing that steadfastness and resistance are the only way to foil the occupation sinister plans.

K.Q.