Five European countries on Tuesday asked the Israeli government to halt the demolition of Khan al-Ahmar village east of Occupied Jerusalem.
France Germany Spain Italy and Britain in a statement expressed their concern over Israel’s plan to demolish Khan al-Ahmar which is located in Area C an area of strategic importance to the future Palestinian state.
The five countries voiced their support for a recent statement by the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini in which it called on the Israeli government to cancel its plan to demolish Khan al-Ahmar.
They stressed that the demolition and displacement will have serious repercussions on the residents of the Bedouin village especially children.
Israel’s Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected a petition filed by the families of Khan al-Ahmar against the demolition of their village which is inhabited by 190 Palestinians.
The 80 families of Khan al-Ahmar have recently rejected an Israeli offer to be transferred to Jericho city east of the West Bank as an alternative home.
Khan al-Ahmar is one of 45 villages threatened with demolition in favor of a settlement project called E1. The project is aimed at creating a physical link between Ma’ale Adumim settlement and Jerusalem and that would effectively complete a crescent of Israeli settlements around East Jerusalem dividing it from the rest of the West Bank.
