Israel orders Khan al-Ahmar residents to evacuate before October
Sept. 23, 2018 11:28 A.M. (Updated: Sept. 23, 2018 11:30 A.M.)
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JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — The Israeli Civil Administration ordered on Sunday the Bedouin residents of Khan al-Ahmar village, east of Jerusalem, to demolish their homes and to evacuate the area before the start of October.
According to local sources, staff members of the Israeli Civil Administration under the protection of Israeli forces stormed Khan al-Ahmar and handed evacuation notices to the residents, ordering them to demolish their homes and evacuate the village within the given timeframe.
Sources said that Israeli forces threatened the residents in case of non-implementation of the notices, the Israeli army would demolish the village.
Sources added that large numbers of heavily armed Israeli forces stormed the village and surrounded the open sit-in tent, as well as took photos of the participants.
Earlier this month, the Israeli High Court rejected an appeal against the demolition of Khan al-Ahmar and ruled for its evacuation and demolition to take place, under the pretext of building without a difficult-to-obtain Israeli permit.
However, critics say that the displacement of the residents and the demolition of the village is as part of an Israeli plan to expand the nearby illegal Israeli settlement of Kfar Adummim.
The village is inhabited by about 200 Palestinians, 53% of whom are children and 95% of whom are refugees registered with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).