Israeli minister orders West Bank hamlet evicted after hearing he may face arrest warrant overseas
Summary
Israel’s finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, ordered the eviction of the Palestinian village Khan al-Ahmar in the West Bank. He said this move responds to reports that he might face an international arrest warrant for war crimes.Key Facts
- Bezalel Smotrich is Israel’s finance minister and oversees West Bank settlement policy.
- He ordered the immediate evacuation of the Palestinian Bedouin village Khan al-Ahmar.
- Smotrich stated the eviction is a response to possible war crimes arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court (ICC).
- The ICC keeps its arrest warrant plans secret and has previously issued warrants for other Israeli leaders like Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
- Israel does not accept the ICC’s authority but the warrants may limit international travel for those targeted.
- Khan al-Ahmar has been in a legal battle for years and lost legal protection in 2018 after Israel’s Supreme Court rejected appeals against its demolition.
- The village is home to about 200 Palestinians and has an EU-funded school.
- Critics say the demolition efforts are part of a larger plan to expand Israeli settlements in the central West Bank and remove Palestinians.
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