In a dangerous move that confirms that the Israeli occupation authorities are proceeding with their plans to undermine the Palestinian presence and destroy what remains of the Oslo Accords, the city of Al-Bireh recently received occupation notices ordering the cessation of work on six buildings located within the city's approved structural boundaries since 1979, some of which are located in areas classified as "A."

Acting Mayor of Al-Bireh, Engineer Robin Al-Khatib, told Al-Quds that the buildings notified for demolition are located within the city limits of Al-Bireh, some of which are inhabited while others are under construction.

Al-Khatib added that the occupation's warnings extended, for the first time, to areas classified as "A" in the city of Al-Bireh, in a dangerous and unprecedented escalation through which the occupation aims to impose new facts on the ground.

For his part, one of the residents affected by the stop-work orders, who preferred to remain anonymous for fear of prosecution by the occupation, told Al-Quds that the construction work was carried out on land located within the structural boundaries of the city of Al-Bireh, and that they had obtained all necessary building permits from the municipality and paid all required fees.

He added that he was surprised when the occupation authorities notified them to halt construction on two residential buildings, one of which consists of six floors and the other of which is a separate villa, both built on 10 dunams. They were given until April 23 to object.

He continued: "There are multi-story residential buildings that have been notified of demolition. Their residents are preparing to move into them after purchasing them from their owners. Now, they won't be able to move in after these notices, despite the large sums of money they spent and years of effort to purchase these apartments."

"right of disposal"

The fierce Israeli attack on the city of Al-Bireh did not stop at demolition notices, but also extended to lands in the city and neighboring villages. Under the activation of what the occupation calls the "right to dispose of," the occupation authorities notified the seizure of approximately 137 dunams of lands in Al-Bireh and surrounding villages east of Ramallah, and the town of Mikhmas, northeast of Jerusalem, for the expansion of the settlement "Route 60."

Al-Khatib confirmed that the municipality, in coordination with legal and official authorities, has begun taking legal action to halt the demolition and seizure notices, and has hired a lawyer at its own expense to communicate with the relevant Israeli authorities to halt these attacks on citizens' property and lands in the city of Al-Bireh.

Amir Daoud, Director of Publications and Documentation at the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, said in turn that the occupation forces resort to many names to seize citizens' lands and dispossess them of their ownership, including what is called the "right to dispose of," which is a late implementation of a settlement project that was previously announced.

Dawoud explained to Al-Quds that the Israeli expropriation order, under the name "right of disposal," regarding the seizure of lands in the city of Al-Bireh and its surroundings, was previously issued in the 1980s and 1990s, but the occupation authorities did not implement it at the time. Only recently, they issued a decision to implement it.

The Oslo Accords divided the West Bank into three areas, classified as follows: "A" is under full Palestinian control; "B" is under Israeli security control and Palestinian civil and administrative control; and "C" is under Israeli civil, administrative and security control.

By targeting Area A, the occupation has confirmed that nothing significant remains of the Oslo Accords, and that it is proceeding with its plans to displace citizens from their homeland.