Israeli occupation tightens the noose on the Palestinians south of Al-Khalil as part of its ethnic cleansing policy

The Israeli occupation authorities continue to tighten the noose on the Palestinians in tens of villages, south of the West Bank city of Al-Khalil, with the aim of displacing them as part of the policy of ethnic cleansing practiced by the occupation in several West Bank areas.

In its weekly report published on Saturday, the Palestinian Liberation Organization’s (PLO) National Bureau for Defending the Land and Resisting Settlements said that the occupation’s attempts to displace thousands of Palestinians from 30 villages in the south of Al-Khalil have been continuous for decades, but recently, these attempts have been escalated and accelerated, turning the lives of the steadfast Palestinians in these areas into a continuous suffering because of repeated raids and daily attacks on their properties.

The report pointed out that the occupation’s attempt to judaize occupied Al-Quds city continue.  Throughout the past week, the Israeli forces provided protection to hundreds of settlers to storm into Al-Aqsa Mosque, the old town and Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood and to attack the Palestinians there with the aim of displacing them and seizing their houses so that they can reside Israeli settlers instead, the report clarified.

It added that many settlers announced their plan to storm into Wadi Al-Rababah neighborhood in Silwan next Tuesday, pointing out the occupation is threatening to steal the land of Wadi Al-Rababah neighborhood which extends on an area of 200 dunums with the aim of expanding settlement activities.

According to the report, the occupation demolished four houses, two trade facilities in villages south of Al-Khalil and demolished a house and five agricultural facilities near Ramon village in Ramallah.

The Israeli settlers, the report pointed out, stormed into the old town in Al-Khalil as well as the towns of Sa’eer and Halhoul and attacked the Palestinians and their properties. They also uprooted tens of olive saplings and trees in the towns of Al-Kheder in Bethlehem and Brouqin in Salfit.

The settlers also attacked students in Bethlehem and Nablus and vandalized agricultural crops in the northern Jordan valley, the report added.

Hamda Mustafa