JERUSALEM: Israel’s Supreme Court dismissed a petition on Sunday by a pro-settlement organization seeking to compel authorities to demolish a Bedouin village in the occupied West Bank, bringing an end to years of legal battles.
The village of Khan al-Ahmar, situated on a strategic highway east of Jerusalem, had faced demolition since 2018 after it was determined to have been constructed without Israeli permits.
The right-wing Israeli group Regavim had taken the government to court in an attempt to force the demolition of Khan al-Ahmar, a community of 200 residents who have garnered international support.
However, the Supreme Court granted an indefinite delay to the demolition order, citing “security and diplomatic reasons” outlined in a classified government statement.
Supreme Court decision amidst European Union pressure
The decision to delay the demolition comes amidst pressure from the European Union and the International Criminal Court, as well as years of political instability within Israel. Previous administrations had deferred their decision on Khan al-Ahmar eight times.
In February, the Supreme Court had approved a three-month delay following a request from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing administration, which sought additional time to present a demolition plan for the village.
While the judges acknowledged that Khan al-Ahmar was deemed “illegal,” they concluded that they should not intervene to enforce its demolition.
The village is situated in Area C of the West Bank, an area comprising approximately 60 percent of the territory that is under full Israeli control. Palestinians face significant challenges in obtaining construction permits in this region.
Since the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel has occupied the West Bank, which is home to around 2.9 million Palestinians.
In addition, approximately 475,000 Jewish settlers reside in state-approved settlements within the West Bank, a move considered illegal under international law.
Foreign nations have warned Israel that demolishing the Bedouin village would constitute a violation of international law.
Regavim, an organization dedicated to protecting Israel’s national lands, filed a petition with the Supreme Court in 2019 to compel the demolition.
The group criticized Israel for “yielding to international pressure” and expressed concern that the court’s ruling could lead the country towards anarchy.
Earlier on the same day, Israeli occupying forces illegally demolished a primary school in Jabbet al-Dhib, a Palestinian village near Bethlehem in the southern part of the West Bank.
The demolition followed a petition filed by Regavim, although Israeli authorities justified the action by claiming the school had been constructed illegally and posed a safety hazard.
The European Union, which had funded the project, strongly condemned the demolition.
