Daragmeh family issued with demolition order in ‘Ein Al Hilwa
On 17th October 2012, the family of Sati Daragmeh from ‘Ein Al Hilwa received a demolition order from the Israeli Military Administration. The army came to the family in the morning telling them to leave their home within three days.
The constant threat of demolitions and the enforcement of demolition orders from the Israeli Occupation Forces are part of a systematic campaign to intimidate and harass the community in ‘Ein Al Hilwa, displacing people from their homes and thus making way for further colonial expansion in the Jordan Valley.
‘Ein Al-Hilwa is located in an area declared ‘closed military zone’. Moreover, Maskiyyot colony is situated on a nearby hill overlooking the community. Settlers from this colony have been inflicting daily violence on the community with the intention of forcefully expelling Palestinians from their land through damaging their livelihoods and making the area unliveable. Repeatedly, settlers attack, steal, hide or confiscate livestock, as a result of which many animals die. Similarly, tractors, tanks and equipment are often seized and only released after the payment of extortionate fines.
The Daragmeh family is now seeking to delay the demolition, but if this fails, they will rebuild their home, a clear statement that they refuse to be forced off their land.
