LONDON: An Israeli project to construct a waste incineration plant north of occupied East Jerusalem will result in the demolition of two apartment buildings that house dozens of Palestinian families, according to an advocacy group.
Residents of homes and agricultural lands in the village of Qalandiya have been notified by Israeli authorities about the upcoming demolition and eviction in late November to facilitate the construction of a waste treatment and energy recovery facility.
Authorities will confiscate approximately 32 acres of agricultural land to demolish part of the Separation Barrier and reroute it to accommodate the plant within Jerusalem’s municipal boundaries. The area contains at least seven residential buildings housing hundreds of residents, as reported by the Wafa news agency.
In April, the Israeli government reinstated two dormant confiscation orders from 1970 and 1982 to serve as a “legal basis” for newly issued eviction orders against Palestinian residents in the area, according to reports from Wafa and the advocacy group Peace Now.
Eden, a development company owned by the Jerusalem Municipality, was tasked in May to construct the waste facility at the Qalandiya site. The Israeli Ministry of Environmental Protection is allocating approximately $3 million to finance the relocation of a section of the Separation Barrier.
“The government’s appetite for annexation and dispossession knows no bounds. As if there were no other place in the Jerusalem area to build a waste facility besides the few remaining (acres) left to Qalandiya’s residents after decades of expropriations and fences,” Peace Now said.
“This would constitute a blatant violation of international law and basic moral principles to expel residents living under occupation for the sake of a plant serving the occupying power,” it added.
Palestinian residents are preparing to launch a legal challenge to prevent their removal after being given 20 days to evacuate in late October.
