Palestine, Khirbet Tana to be razed, inhabitants expelled
Latest News, Palestinian Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign, February 6th, 2009
The so-called High Court of Justice issued the final decision relating to Khirbet Tana, east of Nablus city, sanctioning the demolition of the village and the expulsion of the entire population.
Khirbet Tana is east of Beit Furik and just west of the Mekhora settlement. The people of the village are primarily shepherds and farmers who established themselves in the area some time ago, and who rely on the nearby springs and shared water wells for their animals and crops. Around 75 families live in the area, residing in older homes as well as in caves. There are approximately 25 residential and agricultural structures in the village.
The residents of Khirbet Tana have been in an ongoing struggle to remain on their land. Like all Palestinians in Area C, they are denied the right to construct new structures or expand their homes. Soldiers have made a point of constantly harassing the villagers, raiding homes, pursuing and detaining shepherds, destroying crops and allowing settlers to carry out attacks. In 2005, Occupation forces razed a group of homes, but families insisted on staying and rebuilt as best they could.
One of the homes in Khirbet Tana.
The most recent decision, however, sanctions the destruction of the entire village. This is the second time in the period of a year that the high court has given its blessing to this type of operation. In April 2008, the court issued a decision calling for the destruction of al-‘Aqaba and the transfer of its inhabitants.
The destruction of villages and the expulsion of villagers has been an integral part of the Zionist project since 1948. Today, this is primarily carried out against vulnerable communities; the Jahalin and other groups of Bedouin as well as small villages in the Jordan Valley. Expulsions are followed by the expropriation of the land for the expansion of Jewish settlement, further impoverishing already damaged communities while extending Occupation control over the West Bank.
