Israeli occupation forces last night declared the Khan Al-Ahmar Bedouin community a closed military zone and gave its residents until Friday to evacuate the area before it is demolished in preparation for a Jewish settlement to be built in its place.
#KhanAlAhmar Israeli occupying forces and bulldozer prepare for the demolition of the entire community of Khan Al-Ahmar; disperse residents and activists at the scene #Palestine #Israel #خان_الأحمر #ForcibleTransfer pic.twitter.com/4m3qGxpe2N
— Al-Haq الحق (@alhaq_org) July 4, 2018
According to Walid Assaf, head of the popular committee to resist Israel’s separation wall and settlement activities, Israeli troops stormed Khan Al-Ahmar and notified residents of the military’s decision to close its roads.
Rabbis for Human Rights oppose the destruction of the village as a solution to the expansion of Ma'aleh Adumim. Years of working together with Khan al-Ahmar, whose inhabitants are located here because the state put them there in the 1950s, will go down the drain. pic.twitter.com/oHsrv3t7P8
— Rabbi 4 Human Rights (@rhreng) July 4, 2018
Last year Israeli authorities informed the High Court that they plan to seize the land where the community is located and displace its residents, although the land is registered as owned by Palestinian citizens from the nearby town of Anata.
Peaceful Palestinians protesters at Khan al Ahmar now trying to stop the planned ethnic cleansing of the village by Israeli occupation forces. #KhanAlAhmar #Palestine pic.twitter.com/cl4nbuoRkY
— Palestine (@OccuPalGaza) July 4, 2018
Last May 24, following a long-running legal battle, Israeli judges at the high court allowed the civil administration to go ahead with the demolition of the community’s homes and sole school at the pretext of unlicensed construction and to forcibly evacuate their residents to an area near the Abu Dis garbage dump.
The school in Khan Al Ahmar is at imminent risk of being demolished – these were happier days, girls playing in the school playground – 170 #children could soon lose their right to education. #ForEveryChild pic.twitter.com/G8OYYoAaxr
— UNICEFpalestine (@UNICEFpalestine) July 4, 2018
Israeli Supreme Court ruled in favor of demolishing the village, despite pleas from EU governments.
The residents of Khan Al-Ahmar, known as Al-Jahhalin Bedouins, are refugees from the Negev desert who have lived in the area south of Jerusalem since their displacement by the Israeli army in 1967.
#Israeli Forces Visit Khan Al-Ahmar, ahead of Planned Expulsion (VIDEOS) https://t.co/noAPArwGXJ via @PalestineChron pic.twitter.com/WCfgJOC4wM
— Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) July 2, 2018
Israel has refused to recognize Al-Jahhalin Bedouin communities or grant them building permits.
(MEMO, PC, Social Media)
