Khirbet Humsa al-Fawqa ( ar, خربة حمصة الفوقا), also known simply as Khirbet Humsa or just al-Humsa, is a

Palestinian Bedouin Palestinian Bedouins are a nomadic people who have come to form an organic part of the Palestinian people, characterized by a semi-pastoral and agricultural lifestyle. Originating from the Bi’r as-Saba’/Beersheba region in Southern Historic ...

village that is located in

Tubas Governorate The Tubas Governorate ( ar, محافظة طوباس, Muḥāfaẓat Ṭūbās) is an administrative district of the Palestine in the northeastern West Bank. Its district capital or ''muhfaza'' is the city of Tubas. In 2007, the population was 50, ...

and the northern

Jordan Valley The Jordan Valley ( ar, غور الأردن, ''Ghor al-Urdun''; he, עֵמֶק הַיַרְדֵּן, ''Emek HaYarden'') forms part of the larger Jordan Rift Valley. Unlike most other river valleys, the term "Jordan Valley" often applies just to ...

, in the northeast of the

West Bank The West Bank ( ar, الضفة الغربية, translit=aḍ-Ḍiffah al-Ġarbiyyah; he, הגדה המערבית, translit=HaGadah HaMaʽaravit, also referred to by some Israelis as ) is a landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...

. It forms one of the three villages of the

al-Bikai'a al-Bikai'a also spelled al-Buqei'a ( ar, البقيعة) is a Palestinian village cluster in the Tubas Governorate that includes the three hamlets of Khirbet al-'Atuf, al-Hadidiyah, and Khirbet Humsa al-Fawqa. The area spans 29,250 dunams, most o ...

cluster that includes the three hamlets of Khirbet al-'Atuf, al-Hadidiyah, and Khirbet Humsa al-Fawqa.Al-Bikai'a Villages Profile
Applied Research Institute - Jerusalem. February 2006.

History

In 1972, Israel declared the area to be a live-fire zone, according to court filings.EU, UN condemn Israeli demolition of West Bank Palestinian hamlet
5 November 2020 ''www.timesofisrael.com'' accessed 18 April 2021 In 2005, Khirbet Humsa al-Fawqa was reported as having been completely evacuated since 2002 as it was considered a heavy training ground for militants. On 5 November 2020,

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

i bulldozers demolished most of the village and forced 73 of its Palestinian residents, including 41 children to leave in what was the largest demolition in years. Palestinian Prime Minister

Mohammad Shtayyeh Mohammad Ibrahim Shtayyeh ( ar, محمد اشتية) (born 17 January 1958) is a Palestinian politician, academic and economist who became prime minister of the Palestinian National Authority in March 2019. He is a member of Fatah who was elect ...

accused Israel of timing the demolition for

election day in the United States Election Day in the United States is the annual day for general elections of Federal government of the United States, federal public officials. It is statutorily set by the U.S. government as "the Tuesday next after the first Monday in November ...

, when the world was distracted. The residents returned soon after. The demolition was condemned by the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...

and the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

. On 4 February 2021, Israel razed for the second time because of what it claimed was an illegal settlement next to a military

firing range A shooting range, firing range, gun range or shooting ground is a specialized facility, venue or field designed specifically for firearm usage qualifications, training, practice or competitions. Some shooting ranges are operated by military ...

. The Israeli rights group

B'Tselem B'Tselem ( he, בצלם, , " in the image of od) is a Jerusalem-based non-profit organization whose stated goals are to document human rights violations in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories, combat any denial of the existence of su ...

called the demolition "unusually broad," accusing Israel of seeking "to forcibly transfer Palestinian communities in order to take over their land." On 7 July 2021, it was demolished by Israel again for at least the third time.

Water and electricity

The local authorities in Tubas Governorate provided electricity through solar energy, which was later destroyed by Israel, and it controls the sources of water and deprives the Palestinian population of its use. This forces them to buy water tanks from far away.Israel razes Bedouin campsite in largest West Bank demolition in a decade
5 November 2020 ''www.timesofisrael.com'' accessed 17 April 2021

References

{{Tubas Governorate Villages in the West Bank