Occupation forces delivered five military orders to five homes in northern Arab al-Ramadin on the 19th of February. The threatened homes are built of canvas, wood and sheet iron and provide shelter for 15 people, all of whom are part of a large extended family.
***image2***The community of northern Arab al-Ramadin is located northeast of Qalqilya city. Encircled by the Wall, it falls about 700m from the Zufin settlement and only meters from an Occupation military base. Northern Arab al-Ramadin is one of Palestinian villages in the Qalqilya district that is surrounded on all sides by the Wall and in great danger of being wiped out. The Occupation has constructed a military gate and only residents with special permits are allowed to exit through it.
The community is comprised of 100 structures, consisting of both residential buildings and animal pens. Between 100 and 200 people inhabit the village. The people, who fled from Bir al-Sabaâa in 1948, rely on their animals for both daily living and basic income. They depend on Qalqilya city for basic health and educational services.
Immediately following the construction of the Wall in Qalqilya district in 2004, Occupation authorities issued 11 military warnings to residents of the villagers. The residents, who have been in the area long before the 1967 occupation of the West Bank, were surprised to learn that they required permits for their homes from the Occupation authorities. In fact, the recent orders call for the demolition of five homes, ostensibly because they were constructed without permits from the Occupation administration. They are all being challenged in court. As of today, the homes have not been destroyed.
The owners of the threatened homes expressed their anger at the racism inherent in Occupation procedures, emphasizing that the demolition of homes and land as well as the construction of illegal settlements are basic aspects of ethnic cleansing.