The village of Khan al-Ahmar has previously been threatened with destruction [Photo by Amir Levy/Getty Images]
Settlers from a new illegal outpost in the occupied West Bank are threatening Palestinians from the village of Khan al-Ahmar.
The outpost, which is illegal under both Israeli and international law, was established two months ago and is a few dozen meters from the village.
Settlers from the outpost have physically threatened the Palestinian villagers, throwing rocks at school children walking on a route that passes the outpost on their way to the local school, as reported by Haaretz.
The village of Khan al-Ahmar had been set for demolition by Israeli authorities, although this was cancelled following intervention from the international community.
According to Haaretz however, Israel’s civil administration in the occupied West Bank is once again asking residents why they haven’t left the village to relocate to sites previously earmarked for the residents for the eviction.
This includes a site near a landfill at the city of Abu Dis, and another site near a sewage treatment plant close to Nebi Mussa. At the time both options were rejected.
The civil administration has yet to remove the illegal outpost, with the administration telling Haaretz that although its officers toured the site, they have no government authorisation to remove it.
The figures currently responsible for authorising the removal of outposts are Israel’s far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, himself a settler who has approved large scale expansions of illegal settlements in the West Bank since becoming a member of government.
Settlements Administration Director Yehuda Eliyahu is also is involved in the decision making. Both have previously campaigned to cleanse Palestinian residents of Khan al-Ahmar from their homes.
The past year has seen a rise in illegal settlements, settlement outposts and settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has documented 1,492 attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians since 7 October.
