Jerusalem: Israeli colonists on Wednesday established a new colonial outpost near the Bedouin community of Al-Mahtoush, adjacent to the Khan al-Ahmar area east of occupied Jerusalem. The Jerusalem Governorate reported that the colonists set up the outpost after installing plastic tents and agricultural structures approximately 100 meters from residents' homes. This development follows the extension of a water pipeline through the community days earlier, aimed at tightening pressure on Bedouin residents, restricting grazing areas, and imposing new settlement facts on the ground.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, the Governorate added that colonists have cut water supplies to Bedouin communities east of Jerusalem six times within one month. Khan al-Ahmar is strategically significant due to its position linking the northern and southern West Bank. The area, located about 16 kilometers on the Jerusalem-Jericho road, covers around 40 dunums and is surrounded by several towns, including Anata, Al-Eizariya, and Al-Issawiya.
The Governorate further stated that eviction orders targeting Khan al-Ahmar coincide with the submission of colonial plan No. (1627/7), known as the 'Shami Neighborhood.' This plan seeks to convert agricultural and open lands in Abu Dis into a densely populated urban area with up to 12 housing units per dunum and buildings reaching six stories.