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oPt

OPT: Urgent Appeal- Children of Silwan

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Background information

The neighbourhood of Silwan is situated just outside the Old City walls of Jerusalem, located in the occupied east of the city. Approximately 16,500 Palestinians live in the central section of the neighbourhood. Although accepted as occupied territory under international law, Israel purported to annex the east of the city after occupation in 1967, and applies its own domestic law to the territory. The annexation has no legal validity under international law, and is not recognised outside Israel. According to the UN, Silwan has become one of the main centres of Israeli settlement activity and is currently home to 380 settlers, who live in properties taken over by various means from their original Palestinian residents. According to the UN, Palestinian residents of Silwan report harassment and intimidation by the settlers and their security guards, and clashes between residents and soldiers and police are frequent. On 21 June 2010, the Jerusalem Municipality's Planning and Building Committee approved a plan to demolish 22 Palestinian houses in Silwan to make way for an archaeological garden.

In 2010, reports of a sharp increase in the number of children being arrested from Silwan and East Jerusalem have been recorded. According to Israel Police figures, between November 2009 and October 2010, the Jerusalem District opened 1,267 criminal files against Palestinian children living in East Jerusalem who were accused of throwing stones. During the same period, the Israeli NGO, B'Tselem reports that 81 children from Silwan have been arrested or detained for questioning, mostly on suspicion of stone throwing.