Palestinians fear nothing will stop Israel’s annexation of West Bank
Following the Israeli prime minister's vow to annex West Bank settlements, Palestinians say moves to claim their land have long been a grim reality, even before the electoral promises.
RAMALLAH, West Bank — Three days before the Israeli elections were held on April 9, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Channel 12 that he would start extending Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank and annex West Bank settlements if he was reelected. The settlements are illegal under international law, although Israel disputes this.
For many Palestinians, however, this has been a fait accompli for many years now. Mohammed al-Khabir, 43, from Khirbet Ain al-Hilweh in the northern Jordan Valley, is no longer interested in what is being said in the news.
His biggest concern is that he and his people would be forcibly evicted from their homes if Israel extends its control of all surrounding land.
“We fear that Israel would take advantage of our summer travel and prevent us from returning to our land,” Kabir told Al-Monitor.
