Israeli forces demolish 40 Palestinian shops in town near Jerusalem

Israeli forces demolished 40 shops and bulldozed three car washes Monday in the town of Al-Eizariya southeast of Jerusalem as part of ongoing demolition operations.

The Jerusalem Governorate said in a statement that Israeli forces withdrew from the demolition site in the Al-Mushtal area of Al-Eizariya after destroying approximately 40 industrial and commercial establishments in the area in addition to three car washes.

The governorate warned against the continuation of demolition operations while sound and gas bombs were being fired at citizens.

The previous day, Israeli forces deployed military equipment and vehicles to the nursery area of the town before launching a direct demolition operation, according to the governorate.

Israeli forces are targeting industrial and commercial establishments in a campaign that encompasses all businesses in the area, despite a precautionary order freezing the demolition operations until May.

The demolition was carried out under a barrage of stun grenades and traffic in the surrounding area was disrupted.

It is acknowledged that these operations are part of a broader settlement expansion project, including the E1 settlement plan.

The head of the Arab al-Jahalin village council, Daoud al-Jalin, said the Israeli demolition was “a true massacre of the shops upon entering Al-Eizariya.”

“The occupation authorities initially reported demolishing only five shops before expanding the demolition,” he added.

On Wednesday, the Jerusalem Governorate said Israeli authorities verbally notified around 50 Palestinians to evacuate their shops and commercial facilities in the al-Mashtal area at the main entrance to Al-Eizariya before Sunday morning in preparation for implementing demolition orders issued in August 2025.

The governorate said Israeli authorities threatened to demolish the facilities along with their contents if owners failed to comply within the specified deadline.

The Society of St. Yves, a Catholic human rights organization working under the patronage of the Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem that is dedicated to providing legal aid to Palestinians, also said Sunday that it had obtained a ruling from the Israeli Supreme Court to freeze 50 commercial establishments in Al-Eizariya after filing a legal request to defend the individuals.

Palestinian and Israeli human rights organizations accuse Israeli authorities of pressuring the authorities to restrict Palestinian construction in East Jerusalem while simultaneously accelerating settlement expansion in the city.

Palestinians consider East Jerusalem the capital of their future state, while Israel insists on Jerusalem, in its entirety, as its unified capital.

Since the start of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip in October 2023, Israeli attacks have intensified in the West Bank, resulting in the deaths of more than 1,155 Palestinians, the destruction of 11,000 vehicles and the arrest of 22,000 Palestinians, according to Palestinian sources.