Palestinian Authority Condemn House Demolition Orders During Ramadan, Israeli Military and Police Warn of Escalation of Unrest

Illustration of the Jerusalem area. (Wikimedia Commons/Jfragments)

JAKARTA - The Palestinian Authority condemned the Israeli minister's order to demolish Palestinian settlements in East Jerusalem during the month of Ramadan, while the military and police issued warnings regarding the plan.

Minister of National Security and right-wing Israeli politician Itamar Ben-Gvir ordered the Israeli Police to demolish the homes of Palestinians in east Jerusalem throughout the month of Ramadan, despite a decision made years ago to end this practice, Kan News reported Monday morning.

The decision to end the demolition of illegal construction in east Jerusalem, particularly during Ramadan, was made several years ago so as not to further add to the tensions in what is already a tenuous month. However, according to KAN Reshet Bet, Ben-Gvir has given orders to overturn this decision, and the police are following the directive, despite the accompanying increased security risks.

IDF (Israeli military) officials have warned in recent weeks that this year's Ramadan could escalate tensions between Israelis and Palestinians that have been escalating since the start of 2023.

Speaking at the Institute for National Security Studies annual conference last week, IDF Operations Commander Maj. Gen. Oded Bassiuk warned he could not promise Palestinian terrorism would not escalate ahead of the March to April Ramadan month.

Earlier in February, Israeli Police Chief Kobi Shabtai warned that the police force was suffering from a severe shortage of human resources, which could also seriously affect their ability to respond to violence during Ramadan.

Separately, the Palestinians called Ben-Gvir "burning" the area. On Monday afternoon, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned Ben-Gvir's remarks, warning he would throw the region into chaos.

"We condemn the statements of the fascist Ben-Gvir, who instigated and worked to burn the area," the statement read, citing The Jerusalem Post on March 6.

"The colonialist and racist minister's words sparked an escalation, regarding his boasting about the demolition of Palestinian homes in Jerusalem during the Holy Month of Ramadan," the statement continued.

"Such statements are intended to set fire to the region against the backdrop of the Judaization of Jerusalem, the crimes of ethnic cleansing and acts of forced deportation, which affect all aspects of the lives of citizens in Jerusalem."

"The ministry holds the Israeli government, led by Netanyahu, bearing full and direct responsibility for the ongoing crimes in Jerusalem," the ministry said in a statement.

Despite denials on the matter from people close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who say Ben-Gvir does not have the authority to enact these plans, he has expressed his desire to proceed with the project, whether he receives additional troops or not.

According to people close to the minister, he has instructed Shabtai, as well as Jerusalem District Commander Doron Turgeman to take steps to quell terror in east Jerusalem, including the detention and arrest of 150 terror suspects known to the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency). and the demolition of illegally built houses in east Jerusalem.