Ramallah, January 17 (RHC)-- Israel is moving to grab more Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank as residents are given demolition orders, according to a report from Press TV.
On Thursday, Israeli forces handed 12 demolition orders to Palestinian residents in al-Khalil Hebron, which includes six houses and six water wells. The orders were given to residents of the village of Sa’ir in the southern al-Khalil hills. The orders are meant to confiscate more land from the Palestinians to expand illegal Israeli settlements in the area.
The Israeli military has closed the village and given the residents one month to file a complaint before carrying out the demolitions. Human rights groups say that the demolition orders are part of a strategy by the regime in Tel Aviv to annex the southern al-Khalil hills to Israel and a greater strategy to maintain military control over the Jordan Valley, the Negev and the southern al-Khalil hills.
A new injunction signed on December 25th by the head of the Israeli military's central command bans all Palestinians from appealing demolition orders to the Israeli military courts. Instead, they can only take them to the Israeli high court, which is a more lengthy and costly process for the residents. They are also banned from using Palestinian lawyers in the Israeli high court.