Gaza: Israeli colonists today continued leveling large areas of land in the town of Nahalin, west of Bethlehem, to expand the illegal settlement of Beitar Illit, built by force on Palestinian-owned lands.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA,the land-leveling activities were concentrated in the areas of Wadi al-Jamala and al-Kabarat, which lie below the fence of the Beitar Illit settlement and face the town. This expansion is occurring at the expense of privately owned lands belonging to residents of Nahalin. The works are being executed under the direct oversight of the settlement administration, rather than being isolated actions by individual colonists. This creates a significant threat to the landowners, who risk losing dozens of dunums of their lands permanently.
Additionally, the source reported that a new settlement outpost was established by colonists a week ago in the Jabal Ain al-Faqiya area of Nahalin. This development accompanies the demolition of several Palestinian homes, following an earlier order targeting 14 homes and structures across various regions of the town. Despite the owners' efforts to engage in legal proceedings, stop-work and demolition notices were issued against these properties, exacerbating the ongoing tensions and disputes over land ownership and rights in the area.