Published 5th October 2014 by WAFA, Palestine News and Information Agency

TUBAS, October 5, 2014 (WAFA) – Israeli forces Sunday verbally notified residents of Khirbet Um al-Jimal, a locale to the east of the West Bank Tubas governorate, of their intentions to demolish their homes, according to a local source.

Aref Daraghmeh, head of the al-Maleh local council, said that Israeli soldiers stormed the area, took photos of the area and verbally notified the residents of their intentions to demolish their homes without giving a specific date to when the order would be implemented.

To be noted, Israeli forces have demolished the locale several times in the past years, yet residents kept on rebuilding it, refusing to leave their land.

Israel is seeking to empty the Jordan Valley of its Palestinian residents, who are mainly Bedouin, as it plans to keep it under its control in any future deal with the Palestinians.

The Palestinians, on the other hand, say the Jordan Valley, which makes up almost a third of the area of the West Bank, is vital for the future Palestinian state both economically and politically and will not accept any Israeli presence there in any future peace deal.