B'Tselem claims 47 WB Palestinian families at risk of expulsion, IDF says homes built illegaly

Israeli human rights group B'Tselem claims 47 Palestinian families in the northern Jordan Valley face expulsion risk after water supply was cut, allegedly by settlers and the IDF. The IDF says homes were built illegally in Area C, and a security-related digging project may affect water infrastructure. B'Tselem alleges intent to displace communities and annex land.

Israeli human rights organization B'Tselem claimed on Tuesday that 47 Palestinian families are at risk of expulsion from their homes in the West Bank's northern Jordan Valley. The left-wing organization alleged that settler extremists, alongside the IDF, cut off the water supply for 300 people in Ras al-Ahmar, At-Tha'ala, and the area east of Atuf. IDF sources told The Jerusalem Post that circumstances differ for each family, with many or all having built homes illegally in Area C. The military says each case is proceeding through the legal system, and a digging project that may affect water is for security reasons, aimed at preventing weapons smuggling and thwarting security threats. B'Tselem claims the water shortage enables de facto annexation of thousands of acres of Palestinian land. The barrier route, announced about a year ago, stretches approximately 22 kilometers from Ein Shibli to the Tyasir checkpoint.