OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)
The head of the village council for the gathering of al-Khan al-Ahmar east of the occupied city of Jerusalem, Eid al-Jahalin, launched a strong warning against the extreme danger of the decision of the Israeli finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, which dictates the displacement of the village.
Jahalin stressed in press statements on Wednesday that this gathering represents the final obstacle to implementing the “Greater Jerusalem” settlement plan, as the Israeli plan extending from Jerusalem reaching to the Dead Sea is considered an old-renewed project.
He pointed out that al-Khan al-Ahmar is the only Palestinian village standing as an obstacle in the face of this expansionist extension of the so-called Greater Jerusalem, and the spark that will ignite catastrophic results on the Palestinian cause if the occupation proceeds to uproot it, especially since the most prominent dangers lie in linking the settlements with each other and closing the eastern gate of the occupied capital completely.
Jahalin touched on the geographical and political repercussions of this plan, explaining that uprooting the village aims to expand the boundaries of the occupation municipality in Jerusalem to reach the Dead Sea, as well as cutting the geographical connection between the north of the West Bank and its south completely, which destroys the dream of establishing the independent Palestinian state.
The head of the village council refuted all the claims of the occupation regarding the classification of the land, stressing that it is private Palestinian land belonging to the municipality of Anata, inherited by the residents from their grandfathers and their ownership papers were renewed, but the occupation authorities confiscated it with invalid military orders relying on the American cover and disregarding international law and the decisions of its own courts.
He pointed out that the gathering includes 42 families comprising 300 people, including 170 male and female students receiving their education in al-Khan al-Ahmar school from various neighboring Bedouin gatherings.
The head of the village council directed an urgent appeal to the Arab and Islamic nations, questioning the role of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation regarding what is happening in Palestine and al-Khan al-Ahmar, and the absence of action to save Jerusalem and the Islamic and Christian holy sites.
He praised the steadfastness of the residents and their legendary persistence in the face of repeated demolition and displacement decisions, confirming their persistence on remaining in their land and their absolute refusal to leave.
This warning comes after the extremist Israeli finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, announced during a press conference his intention to sign an order to evacuate the village immediately.
The extremist minister explained that his government seeks to plan and build settlements in a way that makes the settlement project irreversible, claiming that this decision came in response to the arrest warrants issued against him and against other officials by the International Criminal Court against the backdrop of the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.
In the same context, Hamas warned against the danger of this decision, describing the orders of Smotrich to evacuate the gathering of al-Khan al-Ahmar and displace its residents as a new crime that falls within the policies of ethnic cleansing and the seizure of land for the benefit of building thousands of settlement units.
The Movement called in a statement on the international community, the United Nations, and its institutions to break the wall of silence towards the continuous crimes of the occupation, and to work seriously to hold its leaders accountable and put an end to the Israeli disregard for UN resolutions that confirm the illegality of settlements.
It also stressed that these threats and the continuous escalation against the Palestinians necessitate unifying the national ranks and launching a real resistance program to confront the Israeli measures in the West Bank, Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.
