Palestinian Authority (PA) cabinet leader Rami Hamdallah on Thursday visited the illegal Bedouin village of Khan al-Ahmar, which is slated for demolition, to express solidarity with the residents.
According to Channel 10 News, Hamdallah thanked the residents for what he described as "their steadfast and non-violent stance against the Israeli occupation."
He also called upon the residents to thwart the expected demolition and stated, "This occupation will surely disappear."
Khan al-Ahmar was built in the 1990s on land belonging to the Israeli town of Kfar Adumim, east of Jerusalem. The encampment is home to some 170 Bedouin, who have expanded the community in recent years with the aid of foreign governments.
Israeli courts approved the outpost’s demolition, but in July the Supreme Court froze plans to evacuate Khan al-Ahmar, pending an appeal by residents.
Israeli security forces had been preparing for the planned demolition, which was set to commence just hours before the court intervened.
Last month, however, the Supreme Court ruled against the residents, rejecting their claims and clearing the way for Khan al-Ahmar’s evacuation.
The ruling was condemned by the European Union, which warned that by demolishing Khan al-Ahmar, Israel would undermine the “prospects for peace”, as well as the possibility of achieving a two-state solution.
Earlier this week, the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor warned Israel that the planned demolition of a Bedouin village in Judea and Samaria may constitute a war crime.
The PA filed a claim with the ICC in September against Israel over the demolition, calling it a war crime.