HEBRON, Wednesday, November 13, 2019 (WAFA) - Israeli army embarked today on levelling Palestinian land in Beit Ummar town, to the north of the southern West Bank city of Hebron, in favour of the construction of a settler-only bypass road.
WAFA correspondent said that Israeli bulldozers, under military protection, proceeded to raze about 400 dunums of Palestinian land belonging to the Hebron-district towns of Halhul and Beit Ummar to make room for the settler-only bypass road.
The road will extend several kilometres on private fertile lands from the Gush Etzion settlement junction, north of Hebron, to the Nabi Younes junction, at the eastern entrance of Halhul town, passing through Beit Al Baraka church compound, opposite to al-Arroub refugee camp, and Jabal al-Qarn natural reserve.
Over the last two decades, Jewish-only settlements have expanded rapidly across the West Bank and East Jerusalem and have severely constrained the possibility of a contiguous Palestinian state.
The Israeli government provides over 600,000 settlers with roads, electricity, water, and sewage systems that remain inaccessible to many neighbouring Palestinians.
While the international community has been vocal in its condemnation of Israeli settlement activity, it has taken few steps to pressure Israel into ceasing the enterprise.
K.F.
