Yusra Qwaider is 97 years old, bedridden and helpless: within days, bulldozers from the Jerusalem municipality will come to tear down the home she has lived in for over 50 years.
If the demolition in the Al-Bustan neighbourhood goes ahead, it will be the third time she has lost her home -- this time to make way for an archaeology and tourism park in the Silwan area just outside the Old City.
"I don't know what to do... I want to stay in my home," she told AFP from her bed in the house where she lives with 12 family members that the municipality says is illegal.
"When it was built in 1970, there were no permits. We have tried every legal avenue," said her son Mohammed Qwaider, his face a picture of angst.
Israeli NGO Ir Amim said demolitions in Al-Bustan have increased "dramatically" since Hamas's October 2023 attack, with the threat hanging over "the vast majority" of its 115 homes.
So far this year, 17 homes have been razed, compared with 13 in 2025 and 24 the year before, said the NGO, which works for an "equitable" sharing of the city.
It blamed the acceleration on a "sudden decision" by the municipality to halt talks with residents over "a proper housing solution for the area".
Thousands of homes in annexed east Jerusalem were built without permits, which its Palestinian residents say are almost impossible to obtain.
In a statement sent to AFP, the municipality said Al-Bustan was zoned "for a public park" and was "never designated for residential use".
"For years the municipality attempted to find a solution for the residents that would also include an alternative housing solution, but they did not demonstrate serious intentions to reach an agreement."
Source: Drudge Report
