RESTRICTION SUMMARY: Jerusalem - 12 December 2021. Israeli authorities force four Palestinian families to vacate a plot of land in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of Jerusalem.

0.1 SOUNDBITE (in Arabic)Shadi Nassar "rented a plot of land"

STORYLINE

the Israeli municipality of West Jerusalem today began work on a plot of Palestinian-owned land at the entrance to Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in the occupied city of Jerusalem, which was seized under the pretext of “public interest.”

WAFA correspondent reported that the municipality crews and bulldozers began the bulldozing work on the land, which has an area of about 4,700 square meters owned by four Palestinian families and was used as a parking lot and carwash.

The Israeli Supreme Court allowed at the end of October the takeover of the land by the Israeli municipality with the aim of establishing a garden serving settlers, claiming its close proximity to the so-called Shimon HaTzedik shrine.

The municipality issued a decision to seize the land in 2016 after several failed attempts in light of the opposition of the takeover by the four families, who fought the takeover in Israeli courts.

Footage by APAwire