Ben-Gvir orders demolition of Palestinian homes during Ramadan

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Israeli Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir ordered the security forces to demolish Palestinian homes in occupied East Al-Quds during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

The Israeli public broadcaster KAN, reported that the Monday announcement comes despite the fact that the occupation government has not implemented home demolitions during Ramadan in the past years in order to avoid escalations with Palestinians.

On the other hand, Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that the Israeli police warned Ben-Gvir against any acts during the month of Ramadan because it could be extremely dangerous, as Palestinians are already enraged due to the recent escalations across the occupied West Bank.

Demolishing Palestinian homes across the occupied territories has increased after the new extremely far-right Israeli administration took office.

Palestinians consider the new cabinet's ministers, particularly the far-right Ben-Gvir and finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, as racist and fascist for publicly advocating the expulsion and demolition of Palestinians, supporting Israeli extremist groups that repeatedly attack Palestinians, and inciting racism against Arabs. 

Last week, Smotrich caused tensions when he said the Palestinian town of Huwara, south of Nablus, should be “wiped out.”

“I think the village of Huwara needs to be wiped out. I think Israel should do it,” he was quoted as saying by Israeli media outlets on March 1.

The horrific remarks came days after the illegal Israeli settlers' rampage, which left one Palestinian murdered and Palestinian cars, homes, and businesses burnt to the ground. The rampage followed a week of brutal aggression against Palestinians in Nablus, in which 11 were killed in an Israeli occupation forces (IOF) raid.

The European Union and many countries around the world condemned his remarks and considered them as incitement of violence and terrorism.

The office of the European Union's Representative in Al-Quds condemned the remarks as “unacceptable,” saying, “They incite to indiscriminate violence in a situation which is already extremely tense.”

Read next: US Amb. to 'Israel' attacks Smotrich: 'throw him off the plane'

135% increase year-on-year

The Israeli occupation, according to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), demolished 132 Palestinian structures, including 34 residential and 15 donor-funded structures, across 38 communities in the occupied West Bank in January alone, marking a 135% year-on-year increase.

On January 23, the IOF stormed the Palestinian town of Isawiyyeh and the Khan Al-Ahmar community in occupied Al-Quds, where they demolished a greenhouse.

The storming came days before the Israeli Supreme Court issued a final decision regarding the Israeli government's quest to displace the village's residents. 

The right-wing extremist's proposition came during a cabinet session in protest against a settlement outpost illegally established by Israeli settlers southeast of Nablus, which they called "Or ha-Hayim" or "The Light of Life", getting evacuated. Ben-Gvir demanded that Khan Al-Ahmar be demolished immediately since illegal Israeli settlers were evicted from the outpost.

Meanwhile, Ben-Gvir requested that all "illegal" buildings be ruled against equally.

Furthermore, the Israeli occupation has a policy of demolishing the homes of Palestinian martyrs who die while executing operations against the IOF.

It is noteworthy that "Israel's" policy of demolishing martyr's homes is a form of collective punishment, and is a war crime under international law.

Read next: IOF demolish mosque in occupied West Bank