Smotrich: I Will Evacuate Khan Al-Ahmar in Response to a Secret Arrest Warrant Against Me from the International Criminal Court

SadaNews: The newspaper "Yediot Ahronot" reported that Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced his intention to sign an order to evacuate the Palestinian community of Khan Al-Ahmar located east of Jerusalem.

About 200 Palestinians live in this Bedouin community in tin houses and tents and have faced repeated attempts at expulsion over the years to facilitate a settlement project known as "E1."

Smotrich explained that his decision came after he learned of a secret request from the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court for an arrest warrant against him.

In his statements, he attacked international positions, stating that "most European countries have shown little empathy towards Zionism," and considered that "hypocrisy and double standards have become a prominent feature in many of them."

However, the step of signing the evacuation order does not legally fall within the powers of the Finance Minister, raising questions about the feasibility of its actual implementation.

The "E1" settlement project includes the construction of more than 3,500 housing units, aimed at connecting the Ma'ale Adumim settlement with western Jerusalem, which would isolate the city from its surroundings and divide the West Bank into two separate parts. Previous attempts at expulsion have failed due to popular movements and international solidarity, but Smotrich's recent statements have brought the issue back to the forefront of political and legal controversy.