After Israel ordered for the demolition of Khan Al-Ahmar in the West Bank, Palestinian residents have banded together to resist Israeli bulldozers from destroying their homes. Around 180 Palestinian adults and children face forced eviction from the area.Khan AL-Ahmar is a small Palestinian village located between the Israeli settlements of Ma’ale Adumim and Kafr Adumim. According to the Independent, Israel’s Supreme Court ordered the destruction, saying it was “an unsafe location near a main road,” and gave the residents of Khan Al-Ahmar until October to demolish and leave their own homes. However, Palestine solidarity activists have criticized the order, calling it a “war crime.” Many point out that it is impossible for Palestinians to obtain building permits in Israeli settlement areas. While many fear for the safety of women and children, they have vowed to stay put and resist Israeli bulldozers.

The demolition of Khan Al-Ahmar will simply pave the way for new Israeli settlements, which are illegal under international law. The UN’s humanitarian affairs office OCHA noted that Khan Al-Ahmar is just one of 18 Palestinian communities intended to be removed for a new Israeli settlement.

“Ordering us to destroy our own homes is like telling us to bury ourselves with our own hands,” Abu Khamas, a 52 year old father-of-seven told reporters a protest tent. “We are not soldiers, we don’t have tanks, we can’t stop them but we will resist and sleep under the sky if needs be. The woman and children are very scared.”

He continues, “If they take all the Bedouin villages they will be able to start building settlements that will cut the West Bank in two again separating the people from Bethlehem from those in Ramallah and those in Jerusalem… In short, if you lose Khan Al-Ahmar you lose Jerusalem because you close the circle around it.”