European Parliamentarians Visit Khan al-Ahmar; Say Its Demolition Is a War Crime
Jerusalem, MINA — European parliamentarians from the delegation for relations with Palestine visited Khan al-Ahmar village on Wednesday and warned that its demolition could be considered a war crime, WAFA reported.
Israel is slated to demolish the Palestinian village that would also displace over 30 families who live there in order to build an all-Jewish settlement on its location.
The European Union (EU) and the rest of the international community have strongly spoken out against its demolition and the construction of a settlement in that area because it would divide the West Bank in half and end any chance of having a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The six-person European Parliament (EP) delegation, chaired by Neoklis Sylikiotis, met with village residents and activists who have been keeping a vigil at the village to fend off Israeli demolition, which could happen at any time after the Israeli High Court gave the army the green light on September 5 to destroy the village and remove residents by force.
Sylikiotis said the EP will continue to oppose demolition of Khan al-Ahmar and other Bedouin communities in the area, all facing eviction from their land and displacement.
He said the delegation supports Palestinian struggle for freedom and justice and for self determination and oppose at the same time the Israeli occupation and apartheid.
He said the EP will actively work to defend Khan al-Ahmar, stressing that forceful transfer of people under occupation is a serious violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention and is considered a war crime.
He stressed that the EU is opposed to settlement construction in the occupied Palestinian territories and supports the two-state solution.
Walid Assaf, head of the Wall and Settlements Resistance Commission, said Israel was committing a war crime against the Palestinian people in Khan al-Ahmar by displacing them in order to build a settlement on their land that would end any chance of having a contiguous Palestinian state.
He urged the Europeans to play a bigger role in defending Palestinian rights in these difficult times. (T/RS5/RS1)
Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)
