DaysofPal- Residents of the Bedouin village of Khan al-Ahmar, located east of occupied Jerusalem, have reaffirmed their determination to stay on their land as Israeli occupation intensifies efforts to forcibly remove them.
The Israeli government has asked the Jerusalem District Court for about a month to file its response to a legal petition calling for the evacuation and demolition of the community.
The Israeli public broadcaster reported that the court approved the request, setting January 21 as the deadline for the government’s reply.
The petition was submitted by Regavim, an extreme right-wing settler group that promotes settlement expansion and the demolition of Palestinian homes in Area C of the occupied West Bank.
The organization has claimed that evicting Khan al-Ahmar would be straightforward for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, referring to his 2018 promise to demolish the village.
For years, roughly 200 Palestinians in Khan al-Ahmar have lived under the persistent threat of expulsion.
Community members say recent developments signal a dangerous escalation, with Israeli policies creating a hostile and coercive environment designed to force them out through pressure, harassment, and settler violence.
Local leaders report repeated attacks by Israeli settlers, including physical assaults on residents and children, gunfire aimed at homes, livestock theft, restrictions on grazing areas, and the establishment of settler outposts nearby.
Eid Abu Dahouk, head of the village council, told Safa news agency that the Israeli government is moving aggressively to clear Khan al-Ahmar as part of larger settlement initiatives, notably the “Greater Jerusalem” plan and the E1 settlement project.
He warned that demolishing Khan al-Ahmar would open the door to the displacement of other Bedouin communities east of Jerusalem and that the E1 project would effectively cut the West Bank in two, separating its northern and southern regions while tightening Israeli control.
According to Abu Dahouk, the far-right government aims to dominate the Jerusalem desert and remove all Bedouin communities in order to advance settlement expansion.
He said this would further isolate Jerusalem from the rest of the West Bank.
Residents, he added, are living in constant fear and uncertainty, unsure where they would be relocated if expelled. Ongoing settler attacks, severe living conditions, and the denial of basic rights have deepened anxiety throughout the community.
Nevertheless, Abu Dahouk emphasized the residents’ resolve. “We will stay on our land regardless of the consequences,” he said, stressing that the community will continue to resist any attempts at forced displacement.
Israeli forces refuse to recognize the legitimacy of Khan al-Ahmar’s presence and have repeatedly attempted to remove its residents, while imposing tight restrictions on their movement and daily activities.
The risk of forced transfer is not limited to Khan al-Ahmar. Around 7,000 Bedouins living in 22 communities east of occupied Jerusalem are also threatened by displacement as the Israeli occupation advances the E1 settlement project, fueling fears of mass forced relocation in breach of international law.
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