JERUSALEM, Wednesday, July 1, 2026 (WAFA) – Israeli colonists on Wednesday established a new colonial outpost near the Bedouin community of Al-Mahtoush, adjacent to the Khan al-Ahmar area east of occupied Jerusalem.
The Jerusalem Governorate said colonists set up the outpost after installing plastic tents and agricultural structures approximately 100 meters from residents’ homes. This came following the extension of a water pipeline through the community days earlier, in an escalation aimed at tightening pressure on Bedouin residents, restricting grazing areas, and imposing new settlement facts on the ground.
The Governorate added that colonists have cut water supplies to Bedouin communities east of Jerusalem six times within one month.
It noted that Khan al-Ahmar, located about 16 kilometers on the Jerusalem–Jericho road, is strategically significant due to its position linking the northern and southern West Bank. The area covers around 40 dunums and is surrounded by several towns, including Anata, Al-Eizariya, and Al-Issawiya.
The Governorate further stated that eviction orders targeting Khan al-Ahmar coincide with the submission of colonial plan No. (1627/7), known as the “Shami Neighborhood,” which seeks to convert agricultural and open lands in Abu Dis into a densely populated urban area with up to 12 housing units per dunum and buildings reaching six stories.
K.T
