Israel set to demolish home, evict 43 people

Ma'an - Staff of the Israeli municipality of Jerusalem accompanied by border guards entered the home of the Salah family in Beit Safafa on Thursday, and delivered stop work orders.

The orders, known locally as "demolition orders," demand that home owners appear before a magistrates court to defend allegations, in this case that the family built their homes without permits. Because legal action at the court rarely succeeds, the stop work orders essentially constitute a demolition order.

On Thursday, orders were delivered for the homes of Ismail Ali Salah, and his brothers Mahmoud and Mohammad, in addition to Tahani Mohammad Suleiman . All four were ordered to appear at the magistrates court on 29 June.

The principle family targeted in the orders, the Salah's, had another of their family's homes taken over by settlers in April, evicting an elderly couple of some 90 years who say they have lived in the same building for the duration of their 70-year marriage. Their home was seized and occupied by settlers according to a court order.

Ismail Salah said that when soldiers entered the home, "they threatened to expel us to Ramallah and Hebron for allegedly throwing stones at the settlers who stole my great aunt's home." Ismail said his own home had been build during the period of Jordanian rule over the West Bank, saying an eviction would see 43 people ousted, "people have no other place to go."