’Israeli’ Court Makes Way for Demolition of Palestinian Village

Local Editor

An "Israeli" high court ruling had rejected a request to halt the demolition of a Palestinian West Bank village. Activists fear the worst was soon to come for the settlement of 340 people, which had been fighting over right for land for nearly 30 years.

The village of Sussiya in the southern al-Khalil had been labeled unauthorized by the Civil Administration - the "Israeli" governing body operating in the West Bank.

Though, residents in the village claimed ownership of the land, but were unable to attain the appropriate permits to build any type of housing.

The High Court of Justice issued a ruling on Monday, rejecting the request filed on behalf of the Rabbis for Human Rights and Sussiya residents on February 2014 to prevent the planned demolitions. The court stated that it believed that alternative living solutions were available to the Palestinians living there.

"It is unusual for the state to oppose a temporary restraining order in this way," Rabbi Arik Ascherman said. "It heightens our suspicion that they have intent to demolish Sussiya before there is an actual court hearing on the case."

One of the lawyers from the village, Quamar Mishirqi-Assad, added that the Zionist entity wanted to move the village settlement closer to Area B of the West Bank and away from the current Area C location, which makes up over 60 per cent of the West Bank.

Under the 1993 Oslo Accords, the West Bank was divided into three zones: Area A, Area B and Area C. 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.

Further, the survival of the village had been in legal limbo for three decades. The tensions renewed in 2012, when the local administration reissued demolition orders, but ended up not going through with them.

However, a group against illegal Palestinian and "Israeli" Arab buildings, Regavim, called on the High Court of Justice to force the authorities to carry out the orders.

The Sussiya community had a long history of struggle with the "Israeli" authorities. According to reports, the village was initially forced to relocate in 1986 because it was said to be located in the middle of an archeological site.

Nonetheless, the residents rebuilt their homes just a few hundred meters away from the site, occupying the agricultural land they also owned.

Nonetheless, the Civil Administration ended up destroying the village back in 2001. Villagers once again rebuilt their homes, but another 14 buildings were destroyed in 2011.

More than 500,000 "Israelis" live in settlements in the West Bank and around east al-Quds which were built after the 1967 "Israeli" occupation of the Palestinian territories.

Moreover, there had been multiple instances of large-scale demolition of Palestinian villages. One of the latest instances included the Zionist entity eyeing 3,176 acres of Palestinian land around a West Bank settlement near central al-Quds.

Beit Iksa residents had been given orders, signed by the "Israeli" military commander in the West Bank Nitzan Alon, to evacuate by 2017.

The occupied territories of the Palestinian West Bank and Gaza Strip had been seeking full statehood and independence from the "Israeli" occupation for decades. Thousands of people had perished in one of the most prolonged conflicts in modern history.

Accordingly, the Palestinians had been granted non-member, observer-state status in the UN and continue to push for recognition.

Their April 1 accession to the International Criminal Court marked the Palestinians most substantial step to date in their international legal campaign.

Consequently, the move opens up the door to seek justice for "Israel's" operation "Protective Edge" last summer, in which thousands of civilians in Gaza were killed. It also gives them a venue in which to contest the Zionist entity's continuing settlement building.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team