Israeli Forces Issue Demolition Order Against House Under Construction East of Bethlehem

Bethlehem: Israeli occupation forces have issued a demolition order for a house currently under construction in the village of Al-Malha, located east of Bethlehem. The action took place when an occupation army unit entered the Al-Mashamis area of the village and affixed a demolition notice to the facade of the building. According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, the director of the Settlement Monitoring Unit at the ARIJ Institute for Applied Research in Jerusalem, Suhail Khaliliya, has commented on the broader implications of this demolition order. Khaliliya indicated that the directive from the extremist Israeli Minister Smotrich to expand settlements east of Bethlehem could result in the demolition of about 3,000 homes and various facilities that are marked on the map as targets. The village of Al-Malha has been experiencing an increase in such activities, with several homes already demolished and others notified of impending demolition. This pattern is seen as part of a wider strategy to displace local residents and appropriate the land for settlement expansion.