On 25th November 2010 Israeli bulldozers demolished eight structures in Khirbet Yarza, which is located east of Tubas, in the Northern Jordan Valley. Four houses, three animal shelters and a mosque, which was recently renovated, were destroyed.

More than 13 families with more than 120 people live in Khirbet Yarza.

The area around Khirbet Yerza is highly militarized with three military camps including Samrah, Almaleh and Kopra camp. In the past, the community has faced constant military harassment. As a result, most of the homes in the area had received demolition orders.

All the families lived here before the occupation. One family, the Abu Fwaz family, has been uprooted from their homes three times by the Israeli apartheid machine. The  first time they were deported from Al Maleh, the second time from Kherbet Al Shakoof and now Khirbet Yerza. They have now decided to remain in Khirbet Yerza and rebuild their homes.

These home destructions are part of this week’s wave of demolitions in other parts of the Jordan Valley, in Al Jiflik as well as other locations in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Abu Fwaz family

For more pictures see http://www.flickr.com/photos/activestills/