A representative of Israel’s Civil Administration accompanied by soldiers arrived this week at the Palestinian village of Khirbet Susiya in the occupied South Hebron Hills. The representative, known to residents only as “Carlos,” photographed and took GPS measurements of structures in the village. Based on previous experience, local residents fear that this action means the Civil Administration is preparing to demolish the village in the near future.

According to the Israeli NGO B’Tselem, at any moment the Civil Administration is likely to demolish all the homes in Khirbet Susiya and expel its residents from their land. This evaluation follows a decision by Israel’s Supreme Court not to accede to issuing an interim order which would prevent such imminent demolition, asked for in a petition filed by the residents and the Israeli NGO Rabbis for Human Rights. The filed petition argued that the Civil Administration rejected the master plan submitted by the residents for their village for entirely unprofessional reasons, and made use of a double standard which discriminates against Palestinians.

This drastic, unlawful move is part of Israel’s policy for Area C, which aims at facilitating the takeover of Palestinian land for settlements while expelling Palestinian communities from Area C to Areas A and B, all in preparation for Israel’s official annexation of these lands.