Khan Al-Ahmar: solidarity protest held to prevent demolition

More than 200 Palestinian protesters started an open ended sit-in at Khan Al-Ahmar, east of Jerusalem, to prevent the Israeli occupation forces from demolishing it and displacing its residents. The protesters gathered in solidarity with residents at the entrance of the village to voice their opposition to the Israeli ruling that gave the green light for the demolition to go ahead.

“The Israeli High Court gave an ultimatum – it ends on Wednesday – for the residents to leave the village,” said Eid Al-Jahaleen, a representative of Khan Al-Ahmar’s residents. He said that 250 Palestinians, most of them children and women, live in the village, while 180 boys and girls from neighbouring villages study at Khan Al-Ahmar school slated for demolition by the Israeli occupation.

The message of the solidarity protesters, said Al-Jahaleen, is that the demolition threat does not only affect Khan Al-Ahmar. There are dozens of other Palestinian residential gatherings in the south, middle and north of the occupied West Bank which are also under threat.

Concerns about the village were heightened following a call by far-right Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir to demolish it without further delay and expel the residents.

In September 2018, the Israeli Supreme Court judged that the Israeli occupation authorities could demolish the village. The ruling has been put on hold several times.

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