Palestinian citizens in Masafer Yatta south of the West Bank city of al-Khalil live under harsh conditions as most of them dwell in caves due to the denied Israeli construction permits. Since 2000 they have been building cottages and tin structures in addition to small rooms before the Israeli bulldozers demolished them.
As the Israeli occupation forces destroy the Palestinian people’s houses in the area they resort to living in caves called at-Tur. Despite their continued suffering the Palestinian families reiterated that they will not abandon their lands in favor of Jewish settlers.
Jamalah ar-Rabei 59 is a mother of six two of whom have been detained in Israeli jails since 2020 after they confronted a Jewish settlers’ attack against their house in Twani village. “We build our homes on our lands and live there” she stressed adding that their lands are irreplaceable.
For his part the Palestinian citizen Othman Abu Qabita 30 who lives in Khirbat al-Esfir affirmed that their existence in their lands will not be eliminated. “I will die but my sons will live and my grandsons will follow” Abu Qabita said.
As of January 2023 most of the residents of Masafer Yatta had received demolition orders and therefore they are at imminent risk to be forcibly expelled. Their situation deteriorated yet further in May 2022 following a resolution by the Israeli Supreme Court that removed all legal barriers to the forced expulsion of Palestinians from Masafer Yatta to make way for the military zone.
Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors without borders) organization condemned the Israeli decision to expel more than 1000 Palestinian citizens from their homes in the area.
“This plan would mean the imminent forcible displacement of almost the entire population of Masafer Yatta” David Cantero Pérez MSF head of mission said in a press statement. “Where are all these families to go?” he wondered stressing that such a plan is “completely unacceptable.”
According to the MSF Israeli authorities have put extraordinary pressure on residents of Masafer Yatta to leave the area. Not only did they destroy the people’s houses but they also installed checkpoints confiscated their vehicles and enforced curfews and other movement restrictions.
These measures which have intensified in recent months have negatively affected the Palestinian citizens’ freedom of movement mental health and ability to access basic services including medical care.
Sick and elderly patients are usually forced to wait for hours at checkpoints and even walk long distances to reach clinics. Their movements are restricted even during medical emergencies. “You have to be on the point of dying to be allowed through the checkpoints” one of the citizens told MSF staff.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) at least 3000 Palestinian citizens live in Masafer Yatta.
Palestinian citizens in the 38 communities of the Masafer Yatta suffer from the rundown of services provided in the health and education sectors in addition to the lack of electricity.
In 1999 Israel declared a number of the Masafer Yatta communities “firing zones” posing the risk of forcible expulsion of nearly 700 local citizens.
For decades Palestinians living in 12 hamlets scattered across the region have witnessed their homes repeatedly demolished. They have also lived under the threat of forced displacement.
Since the beginning of the 1980s the Israeli occupation authorities have declared Massafer Yatta with its 30000 dunums a firing zone.
The Masafer Yatta area is located near the city of Yatta between 14 and 24 kilometers southeast of al-Khalil Governorate. It is the second largest city in terms of population and area within an area of 35000 square kilometers.
