The Israeli military forces backed by bulldozers entered the village of Khirbet Ein Karzaliyah on Thursday and destroyed the entire village, leaving 15 minors and 10 Palestinians homeless.
They also destroyed the only water pipe leading into the village. The Israeli authorities denied entry to all human rights organizations and media into the village.
“The people are living on the mountain and Israel has declared it a national park. The area was named after the Karzaliyah Bedouin family whose livelihood has now been destroyed,” said Iyad Haddad with non-governmental human rights organization B'Tselem.
“These people have suffered under Israeli policy for many years. They tried to take the demolition orders to court but failed because the court supports these policies,” Haddad added.
Dozens of people have now been left homeless following the demolitions. With nowhere to go, no access to water and all aid and media blocked by the Israeli army, rights groups say this could lead to a humanitarian crisis.
“This is part of Tel Aviv’s plan to ethnically cleanse the entire Palestinian population in the Jordan Valley area,” said Salah al-Khawaja from Global March to al-Quds (Jerusalem), an international mobilization protesting Israel’s attacks on Palestinians in al-Quds and promising the return of refugees ethnically cleansed by its military forces.
Demolitions are commonplace in the Jordan Valley as Tel Aviv’s policy of settlement expansion is escalating in the area.
Over 90 percent of the Jordan Valley is under full Israeli military control.
