Israel demolishes houses in controversial Jordan Valley

Israeli forces started Monday to demolish Palestinian structures in the north of Jordan Valley in the West Bank in a move viewed by the Palestinian as a new plan to impose more control on the West Bank.

Palestinian witnesses said that two Israeli bulldozers razed several makeshift homes owned by farmers and shepherds under the pretext that the houses were built without license from the Israeli Civil Administration.

Israel considers Jordan Valley, of which it occupies 90 percent, as its eastern borders with Jordan and declared part of the valley in the West Bank as Israeli land and wants to preserve it in any future compromise with the Palestinians.

The expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Israel's plan to annex more land of the occupied territory to its borders have always been thorny issues on all peace discussions between Israel and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA).

The Palestinians dream to establish a future statehood in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Source: Xinhua