Israel displaces 11 Palestinian families in Jordan Valley
Israel says it demolished homes in a hamlet in the northern Jordan Valley in order to use the area for Israel Defense Forces military drills.
Israeli forces demolished May 7 the hamlet of the Khirbet Humsa al-Fawqa village in the northern Jordan Valley, imposed a strict siege on it and prevented entry to and exit from it. The forces then started demolishing the residents’ tent dwellings and animal pens, and seizing their properties. Military buses were brought in to expel the residents from the ruins and move them to another location in the central Jordan Valley. This move has left 11 families homeless.
The demolition of Khirbet Humsa al-Fawqa and the eviction of its residents is not the first one. Khirbet Humsa al-Fawqa, inhabited by about 80 Palestinians, had faced 11 evictions and demolitions due to Israeli military drills over the past four years. In November 2020, the hamlet was subjected to the largest demolition operation that completely destroyed the community there.
Khirbet Humsa al-Fawqa is one of 38 Bedouin communities located partially or completely on land designated by the Israeli military as a military training zone.
The Palestinian Bedouin community of al-Bikai'a village is located in Area C of the West Bank, in the north of the Jordan Valley. The greater part of this village is located in an area classified by Israel as “a firing zone” used for military drills. Palestinians are prohibited from residing in or accessing this zone, according to the Israeli military.
