AL-KHALIL, (PIC)-- Hebron Rehabilitation Committee (HRC) condemned the Israeli Ministerial Committee’s decision granting stores in the ancient vegetable market in Hasba neighborhood, located in the center of al-Khalil, to the Jewish Settlements Council.

HRC warned of the seriousness of consequences of such ministerial decision on the demographic, geographic, political and economic reality.

It considered in a statement that the decision "comes in the framework of a settlement scheme to Judaize the Old City of al-Khalil, to strengthen the presence of settlers there, and to deport its indigenous population after seizing their properties without legal justification."

It also warned that this decision aims to eliminate once and for all legal and political possibilities to re-open the shops and the confiscated vegetable market, considered the main commercial center in the city of al-Khalil.

The committee noted in its statement that the HRC and Peace Now Movement had obtained last March a resolution from  the Israeli Supreme Court imposing on the settlers to immediately evacuate al-Oweiwi shops located in the ancient vegetable market Hasba near "Abraham Avenue" outpost.

The Israeli Ministerial Committee has issued a new decision under which the settlers have to evacuate the shops which they seized from their Palestinian owners in al-Hasba vegetable market to be granted to the Jewish Settlement Council.