The East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan, where Palestinians have been protesting for weeks amid an ongoing Israeli campaign involving the demolition of houses, has been turn into a closed military zone. Israeli security forces restricted entry into and exit from the town, and set up checkpoints and deployed forces at its entrances.

Located to the south of Al-Aqsa Mosque, Silwan is one of the largest, oldest and nearest Palestinian towns to the mosque, as only the southern wall of Jerusalem, which is adjacent to Wadi Hilweh neighborhood, separates its northern entrance from the mosque.

Israeli authorities have been demolishing homes for weeks in the area to make way for a biblical theme park, known as the “City of David.” Palestinians say the demolitions are aimed at driving them from Jerusalem in an attempt to further “Judaize” the city. Israeli authorities, for their part, claim the homes have been illegally built. Yet Palestinians note that receiving building permits in the area is nearly impossible. 

Silwan is located just over two miles from Sheikh Jarrah, another Jerusalem neighborhood where clashes over evictions was one of the main drivers of a conflict between Hamas and Israel in May that left hundreds dead.