Amnesty warns against Israeli plans to displace Jerusalems Khan al-Ahmar Bedouin community

Amnesty International called Thursday on Israeli authorities to halt plans to displace Palestinians from the Bedouin community of Khan al-Ahmar east of occupied East Jerusalem, warning the relocation could amount to a “war crime.â€

In a post on the US social media company X, the organization said Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich had instructed the start of procedures for displacing residents and demolishing their property.

Amnesty said Smotrich linked the move to reports concerning a request by the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue an arrest warrant against him on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

“Unlawful transfer is a war crime and can constitute a crime against humanity,†Amnesty said, describing the threat of displacement as a “retaliatory measure against international justice demonstrates the extent of Israel's disregard for international law.â€

It said residents of Khan al-Ahmar have been “embroiled in a grueling struggle against erasure, displacement and state-backed settler violence as part of Israel's E1 plan, which seeks to bisect the West Bank and further fragment Palestinian communities under Israeli apartheid and occupation.â€

The organization called on the international community to act “urgently†to protect Palestinians and urged states parties to the ICC to reject any retaliatory measures against the court and support efforts to hold those accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity accountable.

Smotrich said Tuesday that he had been informed of an international arrest warrant issued against him by the ICC.

Around 200 Palestinians live in the Khan al-Ahmar Bedouin community in tin homes and tents and have for years faced displacement attempts linked to the illegal Israeli settlement project known as “E1.†It is surrounded by illegal Israeli settlements and lies in an area targeted by Israel for the implementation of the project.

Years ago, Israel's Supreme Court approved the demolition and evacuation of Khan al-Ahmar as part of preparations for implementing the illegal E1 settlement project.

Following the signing of the Oslo II Accord in 1995 between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, Israel exploited the presence of Bedouins in Area C — which falls under Israeli security and administrative control — to demolish their homes and encampments.

Israel has claimed the Bedouin encampments pose a “security threat to surrounding settlements†and obstruct Israeli urban expansion in East Jerusalem.