JERUSALEM /PNN / Manar Abudayah-

Israeli Occupation Authorities have issued demolition orders for 37 homes and commercial establishments in the Silwan neighborhood, just south of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, as part of a broader infrastructure project tied to settlement expansion, local officials reported.

According to the Jerusalem province, the planned demolitions are part of the municipality's efforts to clear space for the construction of a new road, referred to as "the American Road," which is designed to connect settlement areas. The move has been met with strong opposition from Palestinian residents, who view it as another step in Israel’s ongoing settlement activity in occupied East Jerusalem.

Since the start of September, there have been at least 307 demolition and excavation operations in Jerusalem, highlighting a growing trend of forced evictions and property destruction. Israeli authorities often justify demolitions by claiming that the structures were built without the required permits. However, residents and human rights groups argue that it is nearly impossible for Palestinians to obtain building permits, further exacerbating housing shortages for Jerusalem’s Palestinian population.

The demolitions in Silwan are the latest in a series of actions by the Israeli government that critics say are aimed at altering the demographic and political landscape of East Jerusalem, which Palestinians seek as the capital of a future state.