Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on Monday ordered a halt to the construction works at the Islamic cemetery east of Yatta.
Fuad Al-Amour the coordinator of the Protection and Steadfastness Committee in Masafer Yatta said on Sunday that the IOF raided the Deirat community east of Yatta and ordered a stop to maintenance and repair works at the cemetery.
The IOF soldiers warned the citizens that if the restoration work continues an order to remove the cemetery will be implemented according to Amour.
He pointed out that the aforementioned cemetery has been used for several years and the maintenance work targets adding graves in addition to maintaining the existing ones.
Masafer Yatta comprises 19 Palestinian communities in al-Khalil district in the south of the West Bank.
Since the 1980s the occupation authorities had closed off most of Masafer Yatta’s lands including 14 communities for military training.
These communities are at risk of forced displacement as in 1999 the IOF expelled most of the residents destroyed and confiscated most of their homes claiming that the area is a “firing zone”.
