LONDON: Israeli authorities informed the Umm Al-Khair community, located near Hebron, about the planned demolition of their playground in the southern part of the occupied West Bank.

The Civil Administration issued the military order, a unit within the Israeli Ministry of Defense responsible for approving building permits in the West Bank.

Forces pinned a copy of the order at the playground gate on Tuesday, which was constructed approximately two years ago with donor funding, according to the Wafa news agency.

Residents said the imminent threat of demolition of the facility, which serves the nearly 500 residents of Umm Al-Khair, came after a campaign waged by Regavim, a pro-settler group, which described the playground as an obstacle to settlement expansion.

In January, Israeli authorities delayed the demolition of the Aida Youth Center’s football pitch, which is used by children of the refugee camp on the outskirts of Bethlehem, following an international campaign to save it.

The Israeli government aims to assert control in the West Bank. It has taken steps to implement “de facto sovereignty” in the region, attempting to hinder the establishment of a Palestinian state. The measures introduced this week allow Israel to control land use in areas governed by the Palestinian Authority, enabling Jewish settlers to pressure Palestinians to give up land.