Palestinian official: Israel ethnically cleansing Jerusalem’s Bedouins

The head of the Palestinian Authority (PA) anti-Israeli settlement committee has warned that the Israeli demolition of Bedouin houses in Jerusalem is a form of ethnic cleansing and forced displacement, QudsNet reported on Wednesday.

Waleed Assaf delivered his remarks in the wake of a tour he took around demolished homes in Jabal al-Baba.

On Monday, the Israeli authorities stormed Jabal al-Baba, evacuated Palestinian Bedouins’ homes and demolished them, making around 90 people homeless.

In a statement, the anti-settlement committee said that Assaf aimed to follow the needs of the affected families closely.

Assaf said that his committee is trying to do its best in order to stop Israel repeating the Nakba for those Palestinians who were originally displaced from their homes in 1948.

Jabal al-Baba is a gathering point for Bedouin Palestinians mainly from the Al-Jahalin and Mazaraa tribes. Its population is around 400. The Israeli authorities have carried out 37 demolitions in the area, while 50 other houses have demolition orders.