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NOVEMBER 12, 2020 | The Jewish Home
charged or released. His plight would turn him into a cause célèbre amongst the various Palestinian factions, with the Arabic-language media offering hourly updates on his condition and the Israeli-Arab Joint List party adopting Al-Akhras’ plight as their own. In October, the Islamic Jihad threatened to fire a barrage of missiles from the Gaza Strip if Al-Akhras passed away. The rival Hamas terror group also pushed for Al-Akhras’ release and called the agreement on Sunday “a great victory for al-Akhras and for the prisoners’ movement, as well as for all of our Palestinian people.”
IDF Destroys Illegal Bedouin Home The IDF demolished 12 Bedouin homes last week that were illegally constructed in a West Bank firing zone. Photos and videos of the village of Khirbet Hamsa showed dozens of solar panels, water tanks, and tanks strewn on the ground. Livestock and
tractors belonging to the town’s residents were confiscated by IDF soldiers.
The military said in a statement that the structures were destroyed as part of Israel’s policy of removing communities that were built without a permit. “An enforcement activity was carried out by the Supervision Unit of the Civil Administration against 7 tents and 8 pens which were illegally constructed in a firing range located in the Jordan Valley,” said the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT). “We will note that the enforcement was carried out in accordance with the authorities and procedures, and subject to operational considerations.” Khirbet Hamsa was located in Area C, an area of the West Bank run exclusively by Israel as per the 1993 Oslo Accords. The village was illegally
constructed on land designated by the IDF as a training zone back in 1972. The military had fought a legal battle over its demolition for years. In 2019, Israel’s High Court of Justice ordered Khirbet Hamsa demolished, ruling that the residents had no legal right to remain. However, the Israeli government had refrained from destroying it due to international sensitivity. The demolition was condemned by a slew of European countries and human rights organizations, who alleged that the demolition violated international law. The European Union also slammed the demolition, calling it “an illegal act” that hurt efforts to establish a Palestinian state. “Such developments constitute an impediment towards the two-state solution,” said the European Union. “The EU reiterates its call on Israel to halt all such demolitions, including of EU-funded structures, in particular in light of the humanitarian impact of the current coronavirus pandemic.” Yvonne Helle, a senior UN Development Programme official, maintained that the Bedouins were forced to live illegally on state land as authorities refused to grant them building permits. “The lack of Israeli-issued building
permits is typically cited as a reason, even though, due to the restrictive and discriminatory planning regime, Palestinians can almost never obtain such permits,” said Helle. “Demolitions are a key means of creating an environment designed to coerce Palestinians to leave their homes.”
Trump Fires SecDef Esper
On Monday, President Donald Trump tweeted that he let Secretary of Defense Mark Esper go. Trump announced the move in a tweet, writing that the position will
