European diplomats witness demolition of al-Bustan neighbourhood in East Jerusalem

European diplomats walked through al-Bustan, a Palestinian neighbourhood in occupied East Jerusalem, while Israeli forces continue to demolish homes and community spaces for a planned settler car park. Long-time residents such as Fakhri Abu Diab, chairman of the local residents’ committee, recount forced interrogations, damage to personal property and a recent payment of 43,000 shekels for a demolition. The municipality offers Palestinians the option to self-demolish, threatening to carry out the work and bill them if they do not.

Approximately 1,500 Palestinians once lived in the valley, now targeted for removal as part of a broader effort to reshape the area's demographics, according to B’Tselem. Residents like blind Imad Badran are challenging demolition orders in court, while others are left sleeping in cars with no clear destination. The article notes that British diplomats have been expelled from the consulate following the UK’s sanctions on West Bank settlements, limiting their ability to intervene.