Israel orders demolition of 8 Palestinian villages for IDF training sites

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Published time: July 23, 2012 14:54
Edited time: July 24, 2012 14:08

Israeli soldiers fire their weapons during a training session near Beqa'ot in the West Bank (Reuters/Handout)

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Conflict, Human rights, Israel, Middle East

Israel’s Defense Ministry has ordered eight Palestinian villages in the West Bank to be razed, claiming the land is needed for military training. Hundreds of Palestinians are to be displaced despite evidence that the villages have existed since 1830.

The residents of the villages, located in the southern region of Hebron, are accused of “illegal dwelling in a fire zone.” The government said in a memo to the Supreme Court on Sunday that the 1,500-plus residents will be moved to the nearby city of Yatta, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported. The Defense Ministry has obtained evidence the Palestinians have permanent homes there.

The West Bank was divided into three zones: Area A, Area B and Area C – in 1993 by the Oslo Accords, which defined the final status of the land. Area A is secured and governed by the Palestinians, while Area C is under full Israeli control. In Area B, the administration comes from the Palestine Authority, while security is provided by Israeli forces. Area C makes up over 60 per cent of the West Bank.

The IDF will allow the displaced Palestinians to continue farming the abandoned land and tending cattle on weekends and holidays, when there is no military training. There will also be two month-long periods allotted to the residents for farming, the memo says.

Despite the evidence the villages existed well before 1976, the Israeli military views the Hebron Hills as theirs, since the land – like most of the West Bank – is graded Area C, which is under Israel’s complete control.

The Israeli Defense Ministry intends to use the land to train its soldiers, which would include firing exercises. This is strictly forbidden in areas where people live nearby, though not on humanitarian grounds. Haaretz says this is not because civilians may get hurt or killed, but because they may spy on the exercises or steal weapons to use for “terror purposes.”

The villages of Majaz, Tabban, Sfaye, Fahit, Halawa, Al Marqaz, Jinba and Kharuba – together with four other locations in the Hebron Hills – have been under threat of demolition since 1999, according to the Association for Human Rights in Israel. An evacuation was halted in 2000 by a court decision after 700 people were evicted. Many Palestinians living there in traditional "fellaheen" communities still reside in caves and tents. They fear they haven fallen prey to an intimidation campaign as Israel seeks new lands on which to build settlements.

Comments (91)

regolo gellini (unregistered) 26.08.2012 16:10

I was censored in most western media for stating that a minority nazi party wasin power in Israel ! This is such an obvious thing that it is useless to repeat it.what is tragic is the indifference of Israeli public opinion that fully knows whatis going on with IDF and government choice.Tragically,a body of courageous men,because of politicians,has lost the aura surrounding the glorious pastin the same way the Serbian Army,that in wwII founght with honour and wonagainst a stronger enemy,disgraced itself through its barbaric behaviour in Bosnia. I could have given my life for Israel in the early fifties and went to work in the kibbutz to pay the price i deemed right as a european for whatI felt as a collective guilt,although I was born in 1940.Today I could do alot of dammage if given the chance to Israel. Why ? Because of the criminalbehaviour of the war criminals running Israel !

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2L8nowlollol (unregistered) 02.08.2012 20:12

so good to know how the well the UN enforce their rulings, made in 1967. still, thinking about it. most of the countries who sit on the council, do get aid from the americans, in one way or another, be it arms, food, dollars, and, the israelian lobbyists control the puppets who are the so called american govenment, that is transforming to a dictatorship soon to be ruled by adolf obhama. the reacent friday night laws that have been past are very worrying to say the least. so with the way the un is run you will never get justice.enjoy what you have now. its only going to get worse. lol. 2L8nowlollol its in the system

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Gandolyn 29.07.2012 15:10

What would you do if your country/land was stolen and you were locked into a human Zoo (or a Warsaw Ghetto) behind a WALL of SHAME? What would you do if you and yours were constantly under seige and attacked by bulldozer, helicopter gunship, massive military power and had only your spirit and determination? What would you do if you and yours were denied dignity, food, adequate medical care, water and shelter? What would you do if the world remained Silent so as not to offend the Zionazi psyche? What would you do if travel and education were restricted by an Oppressor? What would you do if your every movement was monitored? What would you do if your Oppressor falsely and wrongly labelled you and yours as terrorists when you and yours are the ones being terrorized? What would you do to change the Genocide? What would you do?

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