Israeli authorities close crossing with Gaza, okay West Bank village demolition

GAZA/KHAN AL AHMAR, Palestinian Territories — Israel's top court on Wednesday upheld an order to raze the Palestinian Khan Al Ahmar village just outside the occupied city of Jerusalem, despite demonstrations and the residents’ appeals and refusal to evacuate.

In Gaza, the Israeli occupation forces announced the closure of the only people crossing with the besieged Gaza Strip following demonstrations the day before.

No timeframe was given for the reopening.

Protests erupted in various Palestinian cities, towns and villages over the past few days, including Gaza, villages in Hebron and mainly Ras Karkar west of Ramallah.

Palestinian demonstrators have been taking to the streets to protest the defunding of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA). 

Some three million needy refugees across the Middle East, as well as within the West Bank and Gaza, benefit from the agency’s services.

In other protests Palestinians have been revolting against the settlement expansion and the demolition of Palestinian towns across the West Bank.

Cut in two

International powers say the demolition of Khan Al Ahmar enable Israeli settler units to cut through the occupied West Bank, splitting it in two. This dims the prospects of an independent Palestinian state even more.

The United Nations, European Union and rights groups have opposed the razing of the village, which consists mainly of makeshift structures of tin and wood.

The Palestinian government said the demolition plans amounted to "ethnic cleansing".

The court said Khan Al Ahmar residents had rejected relocation proposals by the occupation authorities.

Meanwhile, activists say the villagers had little alternative but to build without Israeli construction permits that are almost never issued to Palestinians in the large parts of the occupied West Bank where Israel has full control over civil affairs.

The ruling means that in seven days occupying forces will be allowed to raze the village, which Israel says was built illegally.

Pressure on Gaza

The occupation forces told AFP’s correspondent that Tuesday's protesters had damaged the infrastructure of the crossing with rocks thrown from the Gaza side.

According to Israel, the crossings will be open for as long as calm is maintained.

Israel reopened Erez on August 27 after an 11-day closure following previous clashes.

The occupation forces open and close the crossings depending on the situation with Palestinians across the border.

An AFP correspondent said several thousand Gazans passed the Palestinian Authority checkpoint at Erez during Tuesday's protest and headed to the Israeli side, where they caused damage to lights and the road surface.

The Israeli forces eventually forced them back, using tear gas and live ammunition. Five Palestinians suffered gunshot wounds, the Palestinian health ministry in Gaza said.

There have been months of tension along the border and several military flare-ups, but recent weeks have seen relative calm.

Egyptian and United Nations officials have been mediating indirect negotiations on a long-term truce between Israel and Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas, who have fought three wars since 2008.