Palestinian Minister of Information, Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi, warned on Saturday of the Israeli plans to evacuate the Al Aqaba Palestinian village, and demolish houses, a mosque, kindergarten, a clinic and society for women.The statements of Barghouthi came after the army delivered 28 military orders informing the residents of Al Aqaba, near the West Bank city of Tubas, that soldiers intend to demolish 28 constructions that belongs to the residents including houses, the village’s mosque, public institutions that provides human services, a clinic, a society for women and a kindergarten.
Dr. Barghouthi stated that these orders aim at emptying the village from its residents and annexing its lands for military purposes and settlement expansion.
He added that the houses that will be demolished provide shelter to 300 residents, including children and elderly.
Dr. Barghouthi described these orders as part of the Israeli apartheid policies against the Palestinian people and their land.
Moreover, Barghouthi stated that the Al Aqaba village has been subjected to continuous Israeli violations and annexations since 1967. The army installed three military camp on lands annexed from the residents, and annexed more lands which became training zones for the soldiers.
Since 1967, six residents of the village were killed and more than forty were injured when explosives, used by the army for training, detonated near them; at least forty residents, were injured.
It is worth mentioning that the head of the village council, Sami Sadeq, became paralyzed after he was shot by the army in his back.
Dr. Barghouthi also said that the army handed the village council a new plan which will annex 80% of its land, and relocate the residents in the remaining 20%.
At least 700 residents of the village we forced to leave to nearby villages and the remaining 300 are now facing an unknown destiny.
Dr. Barghouthi demanded the international community to stop the Israeli violations and plans that aim at annexing the Palestinian lands and Jerusalem, in addition to the Israeli plan which aims at transforming the occupied West Bank into ten isolated ghettos.
