Escalation of settlement activities in the West Bank: Demolition of structures in Qalqilya and notices to remove 50 commercial shops east of Jerusalem

The pace of attacks by settlers and occupation forces has escalated in various areas of the West Bank, where groups of settlers destroyed about 50 Palestinian structures in the town of Kafr Thulth, south of Qalqilya. The demolition operations included citizens' homes and pens for raising sheep and cows, leading to the displacement of families and the loss of their primary sources of livelihood in that northern region.

In a related context, the occupation authorities issued a military order to seize 7 dunams of citizens' land in the Al-Jabriyat area overlooking Jenin refugee camp, under the pretext of using it for military and security purposes. The danger of this decision lies in the fact that the targeted lands are classified as (A) according to the Oslo Accords, which are areas that are supposed to be under full Palestinian sovereignty and control.

As for Ramallah Governorate, settlers carried out a series of violations targeting Bedouin communities and farmers, where about 80 sheep were stolen from a private farm in the village of Kafr Malik. This incident comes under the security cover provided by the occupation forces to settlers who have been directly targeting the livestock of Palestinians to displace them from their lands.

In the Abu Faza Bedouin community, east of Ramallah, residents faced a severe humanitarian crisis after settlers cut off the main water lines to the community, which is inhabited by about 120 people. These restrictive practices aim to forcibly push residents to leave the area, as part of a systematic policy to empty the lands of their original owners in favor of pastoral settlement projects.

Moving to Hebron Governorate, the occupation forces launched a wide-ranging raid and search campaign that affected the towns of Sa'ir and Al-Dhahiriya, resulting in the arrest of four Palestinian citizens from their homes. These incursions included acts of vandalism of household contents and terrorizing residents, as part of the continuous pressure exerted by the Israeli security services on Palestinian villages and towns.

In occupied Jerusalem, owners of commercial shops in the town of Al-Eizariya began dismantling their structures themselves after receiving official demolition notices from the occupation authorities. These notices included about 50 commercial shops located at the eastern entrance to the town, where the authorities gave them a short period to comply or bear the exorbitant costs if the occupation bulldozers carried out the demolition.

Field sources reported that some of these commercial shops have been established for decades and are considered the economic lifeline for dozens of families in Al-Eizariya, who today face the risk of displacement and loss of livelihood. This Israeli step aims to expand the influence of the 'Ma'ale Adumim' settlement, which is one of the largest settlement blocs built on the lands of occupied East Jerusalem.

Data indicates that the demolition operations in Al-Eizariya fall within the settlement plan known as 'E1', which aims to geographically connect the Ma'ale Adumim settlement with the city of Jerusalem. This project seeks to create a Jewish urban continuum that severs the West Bank and separates its north from its south, in what is known in Israel as the 'Greater Jerusalem' project that devours the lands of Abu Dis and Al-Eizariya.

Observers confirm that the acceleration of demolition and confiscation operations in the West Bank reflects an Israeli government trend to impose new facts on the ground before any potential international moves. These measures coincide with the escalation of settler violence, which has taken on an organized character targeting the infrastructure and basic services of Palestinian citizens in areas classified as (C) and areas adjacent to settlements.

These notices aim to expand settlement in the area near the Ma'ale Adumim settlement, as part of the so-called E1 settlement plan.