Israel continues to implement its plan to eliminate the Palestinian presence in occupied Al-Quds

The Israeli occupation continues to expand settlement building operations in occupied Al-Quds, causing the displacement of dozens of Palestinian families with the aim of implementing the occupation’s plan to completely eliminate the Palestinian presence in the city. The international community’s response to these Israeli violations is still confined to words that remind of the international resolutions which affirm the illegality of settlement building, without any action to force the occupation to implement these resolutions.

In its weekly report issued on Saturday, the Palestinian Liberation Organization’s (PLO) National Bureau for Defending the Land and Resisting Settlements said that the occupation has razed wide areas of Palestinian land in the town of Qalandia, to the north of Al-Quds, to establish a settlement outpost that contains 9,000 settlement units and that extends over an area of 1240 dunums of the land of Al-Quds Airport which Israel seized in 1967 and established on its land a military barrier separating the city of Al-Quds from the city of Ramallah.

The razing works in Qalandia also include establishing five settlement roads, four of which link the airport area with the settlements built on Palestinian land east of Al-Quds, and then  lead to the settlements built in the Jordan Valley and the Palestinian coast, according to the report. The fifth road connects the south of Qalandia to Al-Quds and then leads to the cities of Bethlehem and Al-Khalil.

 The report made it clear that the occupation has begun implementing a plan to build a settlement road from the town of Hizma, north of the occupied city of Al-Quds, to a settlement built on the land of Jaba’ village, northeast of the city, a procedure that will lead to seizing large areas of land owned by the Palestinians.

The report went on to say that the occupation authorities continue with their attempts to displace dozens of Palestinian families from their houses in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in Al-Quds in order to hand over these houses to settlers to reside in. It indicated that the United Nations has renewed its rejection of the occupation’s displacement policy towards the Palestinians and described it as “a clear violation of international law.”

 The report also said that the occupation forces continue to demolish Palestinian properties in the West Bank. The occupation forces demolished Palestinian houses and facilities in Khirbet Ibziq in the northern Jordan Valley, 16 commercial establishments in Hizma town in Al-Quds, three houses in Sa’ir town in Al-Khalil, five agricultural facilities in Wadi Rahal in Bethlehem, an agricultural facility in Sebastia town north of Nablus and several houses and facilities on the Al-Ma’arjat road north of Ramallah. The occupation also delivered demolition notices to two Palestinian houses in the village of Al-Walaja in Bethlehem and to several houses in the villages of Al-Nabi Elias and Jit in Qalqilya.

The Israeli settlers also continued with their attacks on the West Bank’s cities and towns under the protection of the occupation forces.

The report said that the Israeli settlers stormed the villages of Burin and Jalud, south of Nablus, and attacked Palestinian houses and properties. They also destroyed 140 olive trees in the town of Al-Khader, south of Bethlehem and built a settlement road on the lands of Kisan village, east of the city. They also prevented Palestinian farmers from reaching their lands in the towns of Haris and Kifl Haris in Salfit and razed areas of Palestinian land in Sahl Mufeya area, north of Khirbet Al Hadidiya in the northern Jordan Valley, in preparation for the establishment of a settlement outpost.

Hamda Mustafa