Sealed Off and Under Threat: The Slow Erasure of Khallet a-Nu’man

No.

17351

Date

22 April, 2025

Found by

B'tselem

Original Social Media Post

"A whole village facing expulsion! In 1967, Israel extended the jurisdiction of the Jerusalem Municipality over thousands of hectares of illegally annexed land. The residents of Khallet a-Nu'man were unaware their village was included, and Israel did not issue them East Jerusalem residency cards. They are defined by Israel as "illegal residents" in their own homes. Over the years, the municipality refused to prepare a master plan and allow construction in the village, despite collecting property tax. The threat of expulsion peaked on 26 January 2025, when a building inspector escorted by Border Police delivered "stop work orders" for all the homes and the mosque – a step that precedes demolition orders. The attempt to drive the entire village out is part of efforts to maintain a "demographic balance" in Jerusalem, i.e., retain a Jewish majority>> https://www.btselem.org/video/20250401_israel_increases_efforts_to_expel_entire_village_of_numan_in_southeastern_jerusalem" - Source

Tags

Archivist Notes On This Video

  • On 26 Jan 2025, Jerusalem Municipality issued 32 stop-work orders (precursors to demolition orders) for the mosque and all 31 residential buildings in Khallet a-Nu’man.

  • Despite being inside annexed East Jerusalem since 1967, residents were denied Israeli ID cards, rendering them “illegal aliens” in their own village.

  • The Separation Barrier (2003) and Mazmuriyeh checkpoint (2006) cut the village off from both Jerusalem and the West Bank; only 150 listed residents may enter.

  • No municipal services (water, garbage, emergency aid) are provided, though retroactive property taxes are collected since 2018.

  • Residents can't bring basic goods, hold weddings/funerals, or receive health care locally; families are split and homes demolished due to lack of permits.

  • The situation reflects Israel’s broader policy to limit Palestinian growth in Jerusalem while expanding Jewish settlements.

The details for each video come from social media. None of it has been verified.