An Arab-owned home in the Silwan neighborhood of east Jerusalem was demolished and three others were issued demolition orders on Wednesday, according to Palestinian reports.
Israeli authorities had informed the owner of the house, Muhammad Matar, of the demolition beforehand and had already forced him to demolish part of it due to a failure to obtain a permit.
Three homeowners in the al-Bustan neighborhood of Silwan were given until November 5 to demolish their homes, which were all built before 1967, according to the Palestinian WAFA news agency. Hundreds of Arab-owned homes in the Arab neighborhood below the entrance gate to the Western Wall are under threat of demolition due to being constructed without a permit.
Additionally, Jewish Israelis moved into a home in the neighborhood, according to Palestinian reports. It is unclear if the home was bought or reclaimed by Jewish heirs through a court ruling.
Silwan is located at the southern end of the Temple Mount near the Dung Gate and is home to the City of David archaeological site, believed to be site of the ancient city of Jerusalem during and before the Davidic dynasty.
The Jerusalem neighborhood originally housed Yemenite Jews who arrived in Jerusalem in the late 1800's. The Jewish residents were forced out of the neighborhood and their homes were razed in 1938 by British authorities amid dangerous Arab revolts in the area.
Jewish heirs can reclaim property left in east Jerusalem, according to Israeli law.