Still in mourning after the murder of activist, father, and beloved community figure Awdeh al-Hathaleen, the residents of Umm al-Khair, Massafer Yatta have this week been served final demolition orders for 11 homes, all belonging to members of the al-Hathaleen family. Handed out by soldiers on on Tuesday 28th October, the army at the same time issued demolition orders against agricultural and bathroom buildings, and the treasured Umm al-Khair community centre.
With demolitions ordered to take place within 14 days of the order, the residents of Umm al-Khair fear that a massive demolition campaign will take place in an attempt to drive them from their lands. It comes as the neighbouring Carmel settlement, also built on Palestinian lands belonging to Umm al-Khair’s residents, expands rapidly. In the last two months, new settler caravans have been illegaly erected directly next to the very community centre now scheduled for demolition. In October, settlers uprooted around 100 olive trees, constructing in their place razor wire fences, as they seek to build new roads through Palestinian property and seize the village’s ever shrinking space.
These accelerated efforts by the settlers are being supported by the Israeli authorities occupying Palestine. When the settlers erected their new caravans and fences within the village, the Israeli police have granted them consent. When settlers cut the village’s power and water lines in October, the army prevented Palestinians from restoring connection for a week – under threat of arrest. When settler terrorist Yinon Levi murdered Awdeh al-Hathaleen in July, the Israeli courts declined to charge him – restoring his gun license within one week of the murder.
The residents of Umm al-Khair, mostly Bedouin Palestinians, have faced at least 20 demolition campaigns since 2007 in which over a hundred residential, agricultural, and community structures have been destroyed by the occupation military. The need for international solidarity and mobilisation is more urgent than ever – as the Palestinians of Umm al-Khair attempt to deny the occupation and the settler colonists, and remain on the Palestinian lands which are theirs by legal and moral right.
