German Minister visits East Jerusalem, slams demolitions

East Jerusalem, Tuesday, German Development Minister Reem Radovan visited Arab-majority areas of East Jerusalem on Tuesday, highlighting concerns over Israeli settlement and housing policies in the occupied territory.

On her first official trip to Israel and the Palestinian Territories, Radovan toured the Silwan neighbourhood, where Arab residents told her they are rarely granted permits to renovate or expand their homes.

According to locals, 33 houses have been demolished by the city administration since Oct. 2023.

Among those affected is Fakhri Abu Diab, who showed Radovan the remains of his family home, destroyed in 2024 after decades of residency.

“The fact that Israel is not held accountable has led to the demolition of my house and the homes of other families,” he said.

He added that his concerns extend beyond his neighbourhood to Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.

During her three-day visit, Radovan is expected to meet with representatives of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.

She is also scheduled to speak with relatives of Israeli hostages abducted during the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.

Although this is Radovan’s first visit to the region, her ministry has supported numerous development projects in Gaza and the West Bank over the past decades.

Some of the infrastructure Germany financed in Gaza has since been destroyed, and the volatile situation in the West Bank continues to hamper project implementation due to mobility restrictions and instability