Israeli forces are scheduled Wednesday to demolish Khan al-Ahmar Bedouin village after an Israeli court gave the green light for its demolition forcibly evicting its 180 residents.
Late Tuesday Israeli army closed all roads leading to Khan al-Ahmar village and prevented access to it as a prelude to evacuating and demolishing it today.
Last week the Israeli high court of justice rejected a petition against the demolition of Khan al-Ahmar and said a temporary injunction that had put a hold on the move would lapse in a week.
Khan al-Ahmar is situated a few kilometres from Jerusalem between two major illegal Israeli settlements Maale Adumim and Kfar Adumim which the Israeli government wants to expand. The removal of the Bedouin village enables the Israeli government to cut the West Bank in two.
The small community of 40 families lives in tents and shacks on what is classified by the 1993 Oslo Accords as Area C which accounts for 60 percent of the West Bank and is under total Israeli administrative and security control.
The court’s decision was largely based on the premise that the village was built without Israeli permission which Palestinians say is impossible to obtain because of the expansion of illegal Jewish-only Israeli settlements there.
The UK France Germany Italy and Spain issued a joint statement on Monday opposing the proposed demolition of Khan al-Ahmar while UN officials Michael Lynk and Leilani Farha said: “This appalling decision could trigger the evacuation of 180 inhabitants including more than 90 children putting them at immediate risk of forcible transfer.”
