JORDAN VALLEY, October 11, 2018 (WAFA) – Israeli forces Thursday demolished residential structures and animal pens in al-Hadidiya village in the northern Jordan Valley, said WAFA correspondent.

Israeli forces, escorting a bulldozer, broke into al-Hadidiya, where they prevented villagers from approaching structures slated for demolition.

They leveled the structures afterwards, reducing them to rubble under the pretext of unlicensed building.

The owner, identified as Omar Aref Besharat, said that he had applied for rarely-granted Israeli construction permit a year and a half ago, but his application was rejected.

Despite the fact that he had received a court injunction ordering halt of demolition pending a court hearing, his property was demolished without a prior notice.

Meanwhile, Israeli bulldozers demolished two animal pens and a caravan in al-Jiftlik village.

The Ka‘abneh family, who owns the demolished structures, reportedly applied for a construction permit but with no avail. The demolition took place prior to the court hearing.

Israel had frequently destroyed residential structures, water networks and seized solar panels and water tankers which villagers used to bring water from several kilometers away as a means to forcefully displace them and seize their lands for settlement construction.

Having no other choice, many Palestinians in Area C of the West Bank, under complete Israeli control, are forced to build without permits to be able to provide a shelter for their families, risking having their buildings demolished in the process.

Israel is planning to annex the Jordan Valley, which will prevent territorial contiguity between a future Palestinian state and the rest of the Arab world.

To this end, tens of settlements and agricultural outposts have been established by Israel in the Jordan Valley, which makes up about one-third of the total area of the occupied West Bank.

K.F./M.K.