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by IMEMC & Agencies

Monday – January 21, Israeli soldiers invaded the Ath-Thaheriyya town, near the southern West Bank city of Hebron, and demolished six Palestinian homes and structures.

Local sources reported that several armored Israeli military vehicles, accompanied by military bulldozers, invaded the area after installing roadblocks and enforcing a siege that heavily impacted the freedom of movement of the locals.

Resident Shihada Hamad Al-Wreidat, a resident of the Al-Rahwa area, stated that the army forced six families out of their homes, including his own home, and demolished them.

The soldiers also demolished several structures in the area, detained and interrogated a number of residents.

He added that the soldiers attacked several residents and homes leading to injuries and property damage.

The Al-Rahwa area is located south of the Ath-Thaheriyya, and is one of several areas in Hebron that the army is trying to illegally confiscate for “military considerations” and for the construction and expansion of Jewish settlement.

Earlier on Monday, the army invaded Yatta town in the Hebron district, and demolished a home, a hothouse, and a well.

Several armored Israeli military vehicles invaded the town and demolished a two-story home that belongs to resident Hamad Mohammad Al-Amour, leaving him and his 15 family members in the cold.

Soldiers also demolished a hothouse and a well that belong to a resident identified as Mousa Mohammad Makhamra.

Coordinator of the Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements in Yatta, Rateb Al-Jabour, denounced the ongoing Israeli military violations and escalation, especially against the eastern area of Yatta town.

He said that the army is trying to push the residents out of their own lands and homes in order to build and expand Jewish-only settlements.

Al-Jabour called on international human rights groups to intervene and stop the Israeli violations against the residents and their homes.

It is worth mentioning that the army demolished, over the last few months, a large number of homes, structures and sheds in the area and in nearby Palestinian communities.

Also on Monday, the soldiers demolished a 150 square/meter shed that belongs to a resident and his 15 family members, in Beit Safafa, in occupied Jerusalem.

Owner of the demolished shed, Salah Ali Salah, 48, told the Palestine News Network (PNN), that several Israeli military jeeps surrounded the area, while military bulldozers demolished his property under the pretext that it was installed without a construction permit.

Salah added that the Israeli attack led to the death of some of the livestock owned by the family, and that the army also took away some of the remaining cattle.

Salah also stated that the army kidnapped Mohammad Khaled Abu Dayya, 25, moved him to an interrogation facility in the area, and attacked his niece, Aaya Mahmoud Salah, 19.

He said that his entire family has been living in sheds on their own lands in Beit Safafa after Israeli settler organizations illegal occupied the family home in 2010.

The family lived in the home since 1967, and has been in legal battles in Israeli courts since 1967.

Soldiers also handed four families military orders informing them that their sheds will also be demolished in the near future.

The sheds are home to more than 50 residents; the owners were granted three days to demolish their property otherwise the army will demolish the structures and will impose high fines and penalties on the residents.

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