High Court freezes ‎razing of West Bank village ‎pending residents' appeal

The High Court of Justice on Thursday suspended the ‎planned demolition of a Bedouin village near Jerusalem ‎pending an appeal by the residents. ‎

The move, which extended an existing injunction ‎against the demolition, comes amid international ‎opposition to the potential razing of Khan al-Ahmar, ‎‎10 kilometers (6 miles) east of Jerusalem. ‎

The village is home to around 180 Bedouin. ‎

Israeli authorities claim Khan al-Ahmar, located ‎between the Jerusalem suburbs of Maaleh Adumim and ‎Kfar ‎Adumim, was illegally built. Israel has long sought ‎to clear Bedouin from the ‎area between the two ‎communities.‎

The state has offered to resettle residents 12 ‎kilometers (7 miles) away, but the Palestinians ‎claim that Israeli building permits have been ‎impossible to get for Khan al-Ahmar. ‎

The pending demolition has drawn heavy international ‎criticism, and ‎rights advocates say that a forcible ‎transfer of the ‎residents would violate ‎international law applying ‎to occupied territory.‎

Responding this week, the state rejected the ‎‎appellants' argument as false and as an attempt to ‎‎buy time, noting that the High Court had ‎approved ‎the demolition in May.‎

The next hearing in the case has been set for Aug. ‎‎‎15.‎