Israeli army destroys house tents in south Hebron hills

Wafa- Israeli soldiers and border police Monday destroyed six tents used as homes and a cinderblock outside toilet in the Palestinian village of Bir Al-Idd in the South Hebron Hills, according to a press release.

Four families were directly affected by the Israeli measure, said the Christian Peacemaker Teams press release.

According to villagers, Israeli officials arrived in the early morning with heavy equipment and quickly destroyed the tents and cinderblock construction. Internationals from various solidarity movements based in the area arrived in the village only to be told that the area was a closed military zone and that all who refused to leave would be arrested, said the release.

The village of Bir Al-Idd is based between two Israeli ideological outposts, Mitzpe Yair and Nof Nesher. After years of threats, harassments and aggression inflicted by settlers, some Palestinian families had to leave the village moving to other locations.
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The Palestinian families, however, returned to the area last year after a legal proceeding in which the Israeli High Court recognized their right to access of their land surrounding Bir Al-Idd, thereby the right to live in the village.

“What happened today is one of many cases of political displacement continually carried out by the Israeli army in the South Hebron Hills,” said Peacemaker Teams. The last demolition in the area was on May 5 in the village of Al-Aminiyr where the entire village was destroyed leaving the families homeless.

Operation Dove and Christian Peacemaker Teams have maintained an international presence in At-Tuwani and South Hebron Hills since 2004.