JORDAN VALLEY, May 16, 2017 (WAFA) – Israeli settlers set up tents and residential structures in Khirbet al-Sweidah in the northern Jordan Valley, Aref Daraghmeh, who monitors settlers’ violations, told WAFA on Tuesday.

He said settlers are in the process of setting up a new settlement outpost in Khirbet al-Sweidah after they brought construction material to set up mobile homes, dug a pool and put up solar panels on the site.

Khirbet al-Sweidah is one of the Jordan Valley villages where Palestinians used to reside. However; Israel forced them out of the area to make place for Israeli settlers, who have begun to seize lands and build settlement outposts.

Israeli violations in the Jordan Valley have latterly intensified.

Almost three weeks after destroying pipelines supplying drinking and irrigation water to the village of Bardala in the northern Jordan Valley, Israeli bulldozers returned to the village on Tuesday and destroyed a water hole that the villager dug to provide them with vital water supply.

According to Mahmoud Saleh, head of Bardala village council, the army bulldozers destroyed the water hole under the pretext that it was constructed without a permit, which is almost impossible to obtain from the Israeli military government.

Israel, which keeps full military and civilians control over the Jordan Valley and Area C of the West Bank, seeks to uproot all Palestinians living there while it builds new settlements for Jews.

K.T./M.K.