MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th September, 2018) France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom on Monday warned Israel about the consequences that would entail the destruction of the Palestinian village of Khan al-Ahmar.
Israel declared the village of Khan al-Ahmar in the neighborhood of Jerusalem and near the road to the Dead Sea an unauthorized construction and started preparing it for demolition. The government plans to forcibly evict almost 200 Bedouin Palestinians living there, despite numerous protests from at home and abroad. Israeli Supreme Court rejected the petition of local residents against the demolition.
"We therefore join High Representative/[European Commission] Vice-President Federica Mogherini in reiterating our call to the Israeli government not to go ahead with its plan to demolish the village - including its school - and displace its residents," the five countries said in a joint published statement.
According to the document, the consequences of the destruction and displacement of the settlement's residents will be very serious and will hinder the prospects of the two-state solution.
EU and UN agencies previously repeatedly protested against the upcoming demolition of Khan al-Ahmar, calling the plans of the Israeli authorities a threat to the prospects for a middle East settlement. They emphasize that the village is part of the so-called E-1 zone between Jerusalem and the large Jewish settlement of Ma'ale Adumim, which has critical importance for the territorial continuity of the future Palestinian state.
