Lovers’ sanctuary one day, a demolition zone the next

Published: 13 November 2017

Last updated: 4 March 2024

The ragged West Bank town of Kafr Aqab has become a refuge for lovers caught between two states but faces turmoil of its own, following a report that six high-rise buildings will soon be demolished.

lllegal Arab neighbourhood to be levelled - with explosives (Israel National News)
The City of Jerusalem, in conjunction with Israeli security forces, is planning a massive demolition operation against the buildings in Kafr Aqab

For some Palestinians in love, this slum is the only place to live (Reuters)
But for Palestinians in marriages in which one partner comes from the West Bank and the other from territory Israel had declared to be part of the Israeli state, the slum is a haven where they can live legally together.

Photo: Haya Khader, a Palestinian teacher from East Jerusalem, stands outside the building she lives in, in Kfar Aqab on the outskirts of Jerusalem (Mohamad Torokman/Reuters)

AND SEE:

Israeli army prepares to demolish hundreds of Palestinian homes in northern Jordan Valley (Haaretz)
The army has ordered some 300 Palestinians who have lived for decades in the northern Jordan Valley to remove all their property from the area — which they’re interpreting as an evacuation and house-demolition order

Photo: AFP