’Israel’ to Demolish Palestinian Home, Cancelled E1 Settlement Plans to Continue

Local Editor

"Israeli" regime forces on Monday issued a final home demolition order to the family of a Palestinian who was martyred more than two months ago during an operation in al-Quds [Jerusalem], the family told Ma'an.

Shafiq al-Halabi, the father of Mohannad al-Halabi, said "Israeli" forces issued the notice after the "Israeli" entity's court rejected the family's appeal against the first demolition order, which was issued on Oct. 15.

The final order said the home, in Ramallah's Sirda village, would be demolished within 10 days.

Shafiq added that his family had evacuated their home two days after his son was shot dead, and had been living in a rented home ever since.

On Oct. 3, Mohannad allegedly stabbed and killed two "Israeli" settlers near al-Quds's Old City and injured two more, before "Israeli" forces shot him dead.

Mohannad was one of the first Palestinians who was martyred following operations at the start of October. Since then, at least 140 Palestinians had been shot dead during protests as well as during attempted and actual operations.

"Israeli" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in October fast-tracked Palestinian home demolitions alleging that it would "deter" operations carried out by Palestinian individuals.

Several demolitions had been carried out since, despite past recommendations by an "Israeli" military committee that said the practice is ineffective in preventing operations.

In a separate notion, the "Israeli" "Ministry of Housing" had been working on plans for thousands of settlement units in the controversial E1 corridor despite the cancellation of tenders for the units in 2013, a settlement watchdog reported.

International condemnation of settlement construction in the controversial area led "Israeli" PM Netanyahu to cancel the tenders at the time.

Furthermore, "Israeli" watchdog reported that the so-called Ministry of Housing began "quietly" planning for 8372 settlement units in the E1 area in November 2014, hiring architects to work on many of the plans that had been cancelled.

The revelations are likely to spark controversy, as construction in E1 would effectively split the besieged West Bank into separate northern and southern parts, making the creation of a contiguous Palestinian state nearly impossible.

The ministry's plans include moves to retroactively legalize a number of illegal outposts in occupied areas, as well as to create urban continuity between illegal settlements to al-Quds, the watchdog said.

One of many plans underway would place 800 settlement units between Palestinian areas of Al-Jib and Biddu, preventing a potential Palestinian West to East corridor, the watchdog added.

One thousand units for the Jahalin Bedouin are also being planned, so that the tribe can be evicted them from the area of the illegal Maale Adumim settlement and E1 and moved to the planned village, the group reported.

Construction plans for over 12 thousand settlement units in occupied East al-Quds and the Old City are also underway by the so-called "Israeli" "Ministry of Housing", the report said, adding that around half of 55,548 settlement units expected to be built through the ministry's plans lie on the Palestinian side of the separation wall.

Yariv Oppenheimer, the director general of "Peace Now", told "Israeli" daily Haaretz the "Israeli" apartheid regime "is not wasting a single day and is investing tens of millions of shekels in expanding and establishing new settlements."

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team