On Friday, the leader of a Palestinian village council located in the West Bank vowed to remain in place and to continue fighting eviction from the land. The Israeli military has claimed the West Bank as a firing range despite a Supreme Court decision against the Palestinians in a case that has been battled in court for roughly two decades. Council leader Nidal Abu Younis made remarks to CNN on Friday confirming that the Palestinians will resist the eviction, as they have no other place to go.
On Wednesday, Israel’s High Court of Justice ruled against the Palestinian villagers in the West Bank, classifying the occupation as “squatting” after it was declared a firing zone by the military in 1981. The court ruling could allow for the legal eviction of the roughly 1,000 Palestinians from eight villages residing on the outskirts of the city of Hebron. The UN, EU, and some Israeli human rights groups condemned the court decision on Thursday, stating that it puts Palestinians at risk of imminent displacement.
Read More: Palestinians vow to stay on West Bank land despite defeat in decades-old legal battle