JERUSALEM - The Israeli government has told Palestinians living in a Bedouin village in the occupied West Bank to demolish their homes within the next eight days and leave.
The warning on Sunday comes just weeks after Israel's Supreme Court rejected appeals against demolition.
The Israeli defence ministry unit that oversees civilian affairs in the West Bank said in a statement: "Pursuant to a Supreme Court ruling, residents of Khan al-Ahmar received a notice today requiring them to demolish all the structures on the site by October 1st, 2018.
"If you refuse, the authorities will enforce demolition orders as per a court decision and the law."
Israel's plan to demolish the village, which is home to 180 people, and relocate its residents has been criticised by Palestinians and drawn international condemnation.
Earlier this month, Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Spain renewed their call for Israel not to demolish the village, warning of the consequences for residents, as well as "the prospects of the two-state solution".
"No one will leave. We will have to be expelled by force," village spokesman Eid Abu Khamis told Al Jazeera, adding that a residents' meeting would be held later on the issue.
"If we wanted to take these incentives we would have taken them 30 years ago, the incentives kept coming but all of us refused.
"We are staying on our land we will not leave only by force."
Yousef Abu Dahouk, a 37-year-old father of four, told Al Jazeera that Israeli forces entered the village and brandished heavy weaponry in front of children near a school that is also expected to be demolished.
"Israeli forces tried to enter the school but activists prevented them. After that, they walked around the village, in between homes and explored the place, trying to find out how many activists there are. Then they left."
Khan al-Ahmar is situated a few kilometres from Jerusalem between two major illegal Israeli settlements, Maale Adumim and Kfar Adumim, which the Israeli government wants to expand.
The removal of the Bedouin village allows the Israeli government to effectively cut the West Bank in two.(FA)
