The $260 million demolitioon bill

Israeli authorities have intensified home demolitions in East Jerusalem, particularly in Palestinian neighborhoods like Silwan. the policy is part of broader settlement expansion that critics say aims to erase Palestinian presence. According to Ir Amim, an Israeli anti-settlement group, over 260 homes and other structures were demolished in 2025, a 70% increase from three years earlier.

This year has seen at least 116 demolitions so far. Researchers describe an unprecedented intensity and scope, with authorities targeting entire neighborhoods for erasure.

Israel captured East Jerusalem in the 1967 war,and while it considers the city its unified capital,the international community views the area as occupied territory.

Who is the unnamed buyer?

The demolitions have drawn international criticism, but the policy continues, leaving families like Abu Diab's in limbo, living among fragments of their former lives. The U.S. State Department has stated that it defers to Israeli authorities on Jerusalem policy, expecting due process.

Palestinians make up about 40% of Jerusalem's population, concentrated in the east. However, housing permits are disproportionately allocated: last year, nearly 9,000 permits were approved for Jewish residents and fewer than 700 for Palestinians, according to Bimkom.

A familiar pattern from the 2019 crash

Those who build without permits face demolition. Meanwhile,settler groups use various laws to acquire Palestinian properties. Israeli officials claim Palestinians rarely apply, but many Palestinians say the process is futile due to systematic discrimination.

Fakhri Abu Diab, a resident who fought for decades to keep his home, now lives in a mobile home among the rubble. israeli authorities demolished his house two years ago, along with many others in the al-Bustan area.

What auditors flagged in the May filing

The neighborhood, once named for its orchards, now contains crowded concrete blocks and piles of debris. Abu Diab's story echoes the broader experience of Palestinians in East Jerusalem, where Israeli policies have intensified home demolitions and settlement expansion.

According to Ir Amim, an Israeli anti-settlement group, over 260 homes and other structures were demolished in 2025, a 70% increase from three years earlier.