Half of Susiya village to be demolished by Israelis after Ramadan

Israeli authorities ordered the demolition of around half of the homes, in a village south of Hebron, to be carried out after Ramadan, Israeli watchdogs said on Wednesday.

Rabbis for Human Rights and B'Tselem said, in a statement, that pressure from Israeli settlers had led to the decision to carry out demolition orders in the village of Khirbet Susiya after Ramadan, although a high court hearing regarding the case is currently scheduled for August 3.

The Israeli Civil Administration, the Israeli army, and the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) office announced the demolition order to the villagers in a meeting, Sunday. Khirbet Susiya has been under imminent threat of demolition since May, when the Israeli High Court approved the demolition of the villagers' homes and tents and possible relocation of the villages around 300 Bedouin residents.

The court case has been ongoing since 2012, when residents of Khirbet Susiya applied for the Israeli Civil Administration to approve an outline plan for northern part of the village.

Susiya villagers reportedly built homes in 1986 on agricultural land they owned, after being evicted by Israel from their previous dwellings on land declared as an archaeological site. more

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