Israel forces raid protest village in West Bank

Israeli forces have raided a protest village in the Jordan Valley region of the occupied West Bank.

On Tuesday, the Israeli forces attacked Palestinian protesters in the village of Ein Hijleh which had been under the control of Palestinian activists for almost a week.

According to the activists, Israeli soldiers fired live bullets, tear gas and stun grenades at the protesters in Ein Hijleh village. Two people have been reportedly injured in the violence.

Local witnesses say Israeli forces are in the area and are expected to launch an all-out assault to regain full control of the village.

On January 31, hundreds of Palestinian protesters seized dozens of abandoned homes in Ein Hijleh village to protest aggressive policies of Israel.

“We the youths of Palestine announce today the resettlement campaign in Ein Hijleh village, which is part of the campaign named Salt of the Earth in the Palestinian Jordan Valley area,” said Palestinian activist and coordinator of the event, Abdallah Abu Rahmeh
.

The protesters also denounced Israeli destruction of Palestinian homes and its illegal settlement expansion plans.

On January 30, James Rawley, the United Nations humanitarian coordinator in the occupied Palestinian territories, slammed Israel’s demolition of 36 homes in the Jordan Valley village of Khirbat Jamal.

Nearly 70 people including dozens of children were displaced in the aftermath of the demolition.

Rawley’s office said more than 1,000 people were displaced in 2013 in the West Bank and East al-Quds (Jerusalem) after their homes were demolished for not having Israeli permits, “which are virtually impossible to obtain.”

Israeli authorities claim they destroy houses which have been built without permission. Human rights groups, however, reject the claim, saying the demolitions are part of an ethnic cleansing campaign against Palestinians.