Khan al-ahmar: Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin called Wednesday on the international community to take practical steps to stop illegal Israeli settlement activity in the occupied West Bank and displacement targeting Palestinians. Her appeal came during a field visit to the Khan al-Ahmar Bedouin community east of occupied East Jerusalem, accompanied by members of the diplomatic corps and representatives of international organizations, including Consul General of Trkiye Ismail Cobanoglu, as well as a Palestinian ministerial delegation.
According to Anadolu Agency, Shahin emphasized the need for a united international response to the ongoing situation. “Israel understands only the language of action on the ground and the international community must therefore take practical measures,” she stated. Shahin highlighted the violations Palestinians face daily, asserting the importance of international law in addressing these issues. She stressed the necessity for a concerted global effort to counter Israeli actions and expressed concern over the insufficiency of current measures taken by some countries.
The minister pointed to escalating attacks on Bedouin communities and Palestinian land, reaffirming the resilience of the Palestinian people. She emphasized the historical concessions made by Palestinians, noting, “We accepted Israel on 77% of our historic land, and today the time has come to achieve our Palestinian state on 22% of historic Palestine.”
The visit to Khan al-Ahmar occurred amidst concerns that Israel will proceed with plans to evacuate the Bedouin community, home to about 350 Palestinians from the Jahalin tribe. Residents, who primarily engage in sheep herding, live in tin structures and tents. Israeli authorities have attempted to demolish Khan al-Ahmar multiple times since 2018 but have faced international pressure, including from the US administration, which warned against the impact on the two-state solution.
Israel has long sought to implement a major settlement project known as E1 in the area, aiming to connect the Maale Adumim settlement with East Jerusalem. Palestinians argue that the project would isolate the occupied city from its Palestinian surroundings and fragment the West Bank.
Last month, Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, also holding a position in the Defense Ministry, ordered Khan al-Ahmar’s evacuation following an arrest warrant issued for him by the International Criminal Court. Israel’s Supreme Court has previously authorized the demolition and evacuation of the community to facilitate the E1 settlement project.
Since the Oslo II Accord in 1995, Israel has utilized the classification of large areas of the West Bank as Area C, under its security and administrative control, to intensify demolitions of Bedouin communities. Israel claims these communities “pose a security threat” to nearby settlements, while Palestinians argue that the displacement is part of a strategy to expand illegal settlements and impose new realities on the ground, undermining the prospects for an independent, contiguous Palestinian state.