A number of Israeli settlers attempted, just before midnight Sunday, to occupy a vacant Palestinian building in the central neighborhood of Silwan town, south of the al-Aqsa mosque in occupied East Jerusalem.The Wadi Hilweh Information Center in Silwan (Silwanic) stated that 6-8 Israeli settlers stormed the central neighborhood and gathered in front of the building before attempted to invade it while chanting â??The building is ours.â?
Local Palestinian residents saw the settlers and prevented them from entering the building; clashes took place between the settlers and the Palestinians before the settlers left the scene.
Silwanic said the settlers returned to the building later, accompanied by undercover soldiers of the Israeli army, and clashed again with local youths, before withdrawing from the area.
Resident Saleh Shiokhy owns the two-story building; it has been empty for some years now, and is located next to several buildings that have recently been occupied by fanatic settlers. The ground floor o the building has commercial stores.
