Palestinian Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign

Occupation forces destroyed tents belonging to five ?Arab Jahalin families, leaving 30 people, 15 of them children, homeless. These families are part of a community that has been threatened with expulsion for some time, as their land is targeted for the expansion of the nearby Ma?ale Adummim settlement.

The demolition began at three in the afternoon on 3 February, when a large contingent of soldiers, 200 according to one witness, and military equipment arrived at the community. They declared the area a closed military zone, detained the families that were in the tents, and demolished the structures as well as their contents. The tents belonged to Kayid Salem and his four married sons and were used to house their respective families.

The operation finished in the evening, with the military withdrawing and leaving the families without shelter for the night. While the affected families did obtain two tents from the Red Cross, these have not been enough to meet their needs. Kayid Salem stated, ?They left us outdoors between the evening and the night, where do we go? There isn?t anywhere; everything is confiscated and closed for settlements. Where do we go, who will shelter us??