NABLUS, January 4, 2025 (WAFA) – Israeli colonists Saturday evening forcibly expelled the community of Khirbet Tana, a part of Beit Furik town, east of the occupied West Bank city of Nablus, according to an activist.

Taher Hanani said that dozens of colonists, under army protection, attacked the community, opening barrages of live gunfire, tear gas and concussion bombs towards the villagers.

The attack forced 12 families to evacuate the community along with their cattle.

Hanani added that the occupation forces held two youths from the community for over an hour and brutally assaulted them.

He pointed out that two other families were very concerned about the fate of their livestock left behind in the community.

According to the United Nations, Khirbet Tana is located in Area C of the West Bank, east of Beit Furik town, in an area declared by the Israeli army during the 1 970s as a closed military zone. The distribution of the recent orders follows a decision by the Israeli High Court of Justice in January 2009 to reject a petition submitted by the residents, requesting the preparation of an adequate planning scheme for the village that would allow the issuance of building permits.

Khirbet Tana is a herding community with a population of approximately 250, including 170 children. Some of the residents have houses in the neighboring Beit Furik, where they move to during the summer months. The village has currently about 60 structures, the large majority of which are tents, caves and animal barracks. The demolition of the targeted structures will result in the displacement of the entire community, which was already displaced in July 2005, following a wave of demolitions, and later rebuilt with the support of an Israeli NGO.

K.F.