Since the beginning of the genocide in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli Occupation Forces and their settler gangs have put Masafer Yatta in the West Bank’s south Hebron Hills in their crosshairs. The situation has escalated from periodic — but dangerous — settler attacks on the villages and the residents of the area before the war to multiple daily pogroms 16 months later. These attacks take place under the watchful eye and protection of the occupation army, which acts as an escort to the settlers on their rampage.
Most of the time, settlers assault us while wearing uniforms and green army fatigues, but without any official identification. They terrorize us by burning houses and cars, cutting off water supply lines, and destroying trees to eliminate all means of life. They commit these acts of ethnic cleansing in order to put pressure on the residents to evacuate their homes and villages — with the ultimate goal of controlling the area and building settlements and outposts to replace our homes.
Here, in what’s called “Area C,” we are not immune to hearing news of Israel’s plans to annex the West Bank. In fact, we are living and experiencing Israel’s daily attempts to do just that. While this may sound like an arbitrary concept to some, it is our daily life, our daily struggle. When Trump and other world leaders say they intend to do this, some may laugh and say it’s impossible, but who is to stop them from following through on their promises of expulsion and ethnic cleansing?
Since 1967, Israel has controlled the West Bank, and despite the efforts to split the area into different groups, our daily life sees constant settler incursions, arbitrary arrests, and harassment while outposts expand, settlements increase in size, and the daily theft of property continues apace. Daily harassment has become a standard and normal occurrence for us.
One of the latest settler pogroms occurred in the village of Tuba, when a group of armed settlers from the illegal outpost Havat Ma’on attacked its residents.
Settlers threw stones at houses, attacking the village, including children and families. The settlers destroyed livestock and their feed. Most dangerously, settlers incinerated a car belonging to a local activist, Ali Awad.
It took quite a feat to put out the fire, and by that time, the car was completely burnt.
After this assault, the police and occupation army arrived and removed international solidarity activists from the area.
Activists were detained and arrested, while the settlers who carried out the pogrom enjoyed complete freedom under the eyes of the army and police.
Time and time again, those who resist brutalization are arrested to further embolden the actions of settler extremists.
Mounting settler pogroms in Masafer Yatta are part of Israeli policy
On Monday, February 10, the occupation forces stormed the village of Khillat al-Dhabi in Masafer Yatta, demolishing seven houses, two caves, and countless tents and structures used for survival. They expelled the village and destroyed the residents’ homes and their water supply. This has left many families homeless in abnormally cold weather conditions. The attack points to the occupation’s aim of fulfilling the complete displacement of Palestinians and advancing the settlement project in the area.
After the destruction and displacement of the residents in Khillat al-Dhabi, which left over 40 Palestinians homeless, the occupation army did not stop there. The demolition continued in two other villages, namely the village of Maghayir al-‘Abid and the village of Jenba. The same scene of destruction that occurred in the village of Khillat al-Dabi happened in those villages when the occupation proceeded to uproot trees and demolish four houses and two agricultural rooms.
The insatiable thirst for destruction does not only disrupt the lives of Palestinians in a practical way; they also destroy life-sustaining supplies by throwing away dairy products and other foods, which are subsistence foods for Palestinians in Masafer Yatta.
Another such assault took place recently in the village of Susiya, where a settler militia assaulted Palestinians under the protection of the occupation army. This included damaging a vehicle belonging to one of the volunteer activists in the village and destroying all water tanks and olive trees. The assault lasted for more than an hour while the soldiers silently watched as if they did not see what was happening.
All these attacks occurred after the settlers began aggressions aimed to displace at least five villages, all in or around Masafer Yatta. From time to time, some residents manage to return to their damaged homes and raided villages. In a village like Zannouta, the residents were forcibly displaced, and they succeeded in returning once, but the attacks did not stop; instead, they increased, and the pressure intensified.
The pressure from the army on the area increased despite the villagers obtaining a decision from the Israeli courts to return to the village. This ruling meant nothing to the army and the settlers. The army refused to let returning villagers hang tarps to cover their demolished homes. The settlers invaded every day: in cars, with drones, and always with the support of the army.
Read also: Saving Masafer Yatta: The Fight Against Expulsion
This is a small part of the daily risks and attacks the people of Masafer Yatta face due to expanding settlements and outposts. It is relentless, non-stop, and proves that there is a systematic policy against Palestinians: crimes are carried out by the occupation government, from the police officers, the armed forces, and violent settler gangs. All with the intention of putting pressure on the Palestinian citizens to leave their ancestral lands that they have inhabited for centuries. With each day, they work to ethnically cleanse us from the land through demolition, destruction, intimidation, and isolation.
We watch the global stage every day as world leaders fan the flames of our demise. In Palestine, we are left to wonder if anyone will use their voice. Arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court, worldwide protests, and global outrage have simply not been enough. The only change we have witnessed is increasing violence and displacement.
It took me a few seconds to figure out what is happening at the centre of the photo at the top of the article. A heavily armed and armour-plated IDF squaddie is going for a ride on a child’s toy jeep that he has stolen.
The IDF is an ill-disciplined rabble.