Palestinian Protesters Block ‘Israeli’ Attempt to Destroy Village, Homes

By Staff, Agencies

More than 200 Palestinians are taking part in a two-day vigil in Khan al-Ahmar, east of al-Quds, to block an ‘Israeli’ attempt to destroy the village and displace its people, while others have gone on strike in al-Quds’s Jabal Mukabber in protest against home demolitions.

The Palestinian protesters gathered at the entrance of the village to voice their objection to the Zionist order and prevent the occupation army from carrying out the demolition.

According to the Palestinian WAFA news agency, head of the Wall and Settlements Resistance Commission Muayyad Shaban said that he had called for the two-day vigil on Tuesday, one day before the Zionist court was scheduled to issue a ruling in this regard.

Concern over demolishing the village, where 200 people live, half of them children, was heightened following a call by far-right Zionist minister Itamar Ben Gvir to immediately demolish it and kick out its residents.

Khan al-Ahmar, which includes 25 Bedouin communities, has been at risk of demolition by the ‘Israeli’ authorities for several years.

In September 2018, the Zionist court gave green light to the village’s removal, leaving it open to being demolished at any time. However, these plans have since been put on hold several times.

In the same context, Palestinian residents of Jabal al-Mukabber neighborhood of occupied East al-Quds also observed a general strike on Tuesday, in protest against the ‘Israeli’ recent wave of home demolitions under the pretext of construction without a permit.

Residents closed roads with burnt tires and rocks and poured oil on the streets to prevent ‘Israeli’ bulldozers and army vehicles from entering the neighborhood to carry out more demolitions.

According to WAFA, the Zionist occupation army intends to demolish 14 other Palestinian homes in different neighborhoods of the occupied city in the next few days.

The demolition of Palestinian homes across the occupied territories has increased since an extreme far-right administration led by Benjamin Netanyahu took office. Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, ministers of the new cabinet are seen as racist and fascist by the Palestinians for publicly advocating the expulsion of Palestinians and the demolition of their homes, supporting extremist Zionist groups repeatedly attacking Palestinians, and stirring incitement to racism against Arabs and non-Jews.

The Tel Aviv occupation regime routinely demolishes Palestinian houses in the occupied West Bank and East al-Quds. The pretense is that the homes were built without a permit. However, the ‘Israeli’ regime rarely, if ever, approves such permits for Palestinians. The ‘Israeli’ occupation forces also sometimes order Palestinian owners to demolish their own houses or pay the costs of the demolition.