Tag: Masafer Yatta

Zanuta: A Story of Return

26 August 2024 | International Solidarity Movement | Zanuta

On Wednesday, August 21, following a long overdue court order, the families of Zanuta, in the South of the West Bank, returned to their village for the first time in 10 months after being forcibly displaced, determined to rebuild their home from the rubble of their village that remained.

At the end of October 2023, the residents of Zanuta were told by settlers that if they didn’t leave in 24 hours, they would kill every last one of them. All of the residents of Zanuta – who had already been enduring unending violence from these settlers, from making it impossible to shepherd, to property damage, to physical attacks, to home invasions and assault – were forcibly displaced from their land and homes.

On Wednesday, the families and flocks returned to their land. Palestinians triumphantly drove their flocks over their land and camped out in the ruins of their homes and propped up the destroyed roof of the school using pieces of scrap metal.

After families left Zanuta in October, settlers came into the village and removed the rooves of the buildings. It was winter, so this meant it was impossible for the families to return. In November, they briefly went back to try to work their land. When they tried to rebuild the rooves, they were stopped by army who said that it was unauthorised building.

Later on settlers returned to destroy everything. The homes and school had their walls and contents destroyed. Trees were cut down and solar panels destroyed. While they would not allow Palestinians to return and tend to their lands, the settlers ploughed the land themselves. Plowing Palestinian land while making it impossible to return to is a legal tactic used by settlers to increase their “claim” to the land under Israeli law.

A supreme court order issued a few weeks ago says that villagers can return to Zanuta (and the smaller village opposite Zanuta). The order also defines Zanuta as a firing zone, meaning that no new building is authorized. With this court order, the Israeli army are required to support the safe return of the villagers, however army and police only made perfunctory visits.

Zanuta is close to Havant Meitarim (“Strings farm”) outpost, whose settlers Yinon Levi and Ilay Federman (son of renowned right wing Kahanist terrorist Noam Federman) were amongst those sanctioned by the US.

If you know anything about 48, you know that supposed court orders hold little to no meaning in ensuring the safety of the Zanuta residents as they come home. They are still legally unable to transform Zanuta into home again due to “unauthorized building” restrictions.

If you know anything about the people of Palestine, you know that sumud will carry on regardless.

Palestinian Family at Um Darit Harassed and Isolated

Acts of harassment and terror are a daily fact of life for residents of Masafer Yatta, a collection of rural hamlets at the southern end of the West Bank. One example is Mohammed Abed’s family in Um Darit, where they are surrounded by a rapidly expanding network of illegal settlements.

After the Israeli escalation in October, they have been driven from their home by armed vigilantes and returned to find it largely destroyed. They have had sheep stolen, a vehicle burnt, a washing machine, water lines, and access panel destroyed, sewage system ruined, windows broken, their house turned upside down, and a Qur’an burned. Male members of the family have been imprisoned and beaten, and repeated incursions and acts of vandalism and terrorism are the norm.

Other acts of violence are more subtle: cars, shepherds, joggers, horseback riders, soldiers and armed settlers regularly traverse the closest roads and hills surrounding the house. As elsewhere, the closest settlements of Avigayil and newly established outposts establish themselves in high places and forbid Palestinians from setting foot in the hills and valleys leading to them (or other arbitrary boundaries). As a result, the majority of the family’s land is stolen, for the exclusive use of the State and the settlers.

Settler shepherd grazing on Abed's land — Settler shepherd grazing on Abed’s land

For example, this week a young settler on horseback came off the road attempting to parade through Abed’s yard, garden, and flock, startling the sheep. Solidarity activists on premises asked him what he was doing there and asked that he leave. The belligerent youth aggressively and repeatedly pushed his horse, attempting to force his way past the activists. After 5+ attempts, another settler arrived with a long gun, and menaced the family and activists. Abed states he recognizes the armed settler as one of those that wrecked his home. This settler has also been involved with many other acts of harassment against Palestinians and solidarity activists. After the family spoke loudly about calling the police, two of the three settlers left and a third stayed to graze his flock of sheep on the family’s plants. In following days, this shepherd returned daily, apparently preferring to graze his animals on Abed’s land and in the valley between Palestinians villages over the closer lush valley reserved for only settler use.

Settler on horseback in Abed's yard — Settler on horseback in Abed’s yard

Armed settler guards settler on horseback in Abed's land — Armed settler guards settler on horseback in Abed’s land

These daily incursions affirm what Indigenous activists of Turtle Island (so called Americas) have said for years: colonization is a process, not an event. It appears in the everyday disrespect for Palestinians’ safety, life, land and religion, the increasing isolation of Um Darit from other Palestinians’ villages, daily military and settler harassment, the bright flood lights from the settlement shining into the village. These constant assaults and affronts aim to displace and wear down the spirit of Abed’s family and others like them.

And yet they continue, spending time as family, coloring together, raising cabbage and animals, extending amazing generosity to others, harvesting thyme and other herbs, and remaining steadfast in their commitment to resist through existence.

Masafer Yatta: Israeli Settlers Burn a Family Car in Um Dhorit

17 March 2024 | International Solidarity Movement | Masafer Yatta

Last night, illegal settlers burned a family car in Um Dhorit, in Masafer Yatta. They snuck onto the family’s land and set fire to the family only car in an attempt to make it irreparable. On previous occasions, the settlers have stolen the license plates, slashed all the tyres, ripped out engine components, smashed all the glass and mirrors and destroyed the interior. This car was in working order before the 7th of October.

In the recent months following the 7th of October and the subsequent spike in settler violence in the West Bank, multiple members of this family have been arrested and held in administrative dentition where they were subject to physical abuse and starvation over false accusations of stone-throwing. The house has been persistently raided and attacked by the occupation army and settlers during the day and at night.

Settlers have entered the property on multiple occasions and proceeded to trash the family home, cutting electrics and breaking water pipes and water butts, destroying the vegetable garden and fruit trees and poured petrol into wells.

Settlers attempt to make life here impossible, hoping to force the Palestinians to leave: cutting off all water sources is a common tactic used by the settlers.

The family live isolated at the edge of the firing zone 918 within the Masafer Yatta region, surrounded by settlements and outposts and is at constant risk of attack and forcible displacement. Despite the army and settlers’ efforts to remove them from their land, still they stay strong and hope to remain.

Violent arrest of Palestinian women in Susiya, Masafer Yatta

13 March 2024 | International Solidarity Movement | Masafer Yatta

Israeli soldiers arresting a Palestinian woman. @ISM

Today in Susiya (Masafer Yatta), on the third day in Ramadan, a large number of IOF soldiers and armed settlers arrested a Palestinian woman and an Israeli activist, shot live ammunition in the air and pointed guns to prevent documentation.

The IOF and settlers came and arrested the woman while she was picking akkoub in a place where the army said it is legal to do so.

As Israeli and international activists arrived to observe and document, an Israeli activist got arrested and handcuffed for filming. Eleven armed soldiers and settlers guarded the area of the two detained and started to point guns and shoot live ammunition in the air to force the rest of the activists away from the area and prevent them from filming. IOF threatened to detain anyone who would get nearer calling their situation an “operation”.

IOF arresting an Israeli activist. @ISM

After keeping the detained for a long time on the ground in the burning sun, they took both the Palestinian woman and the Israeli activist in a big white van and drove off. A few hours later, the woman was released and the Israeli activist taken to a police station.

The IOF brought in seven vehicles including a green army jeep, a police jeep and four vans and a large number of soldiers and police for the “operation”.

A large amount of soldiers and military vehicles were present at the scene. @ISM

The palestinian woman was picking Akkoub, a wild plant that Palestinians have been picking and using for cooking for decades. Akkoub is amongst the wild plants and herbs that the occupation force has made illegal for Palestinian to harvest under false accusations of over-harvesting; yet another fraction of the ethnic cleansing of all aspects of Palestinian life, culture and history.

The Many Faces of Ethnic Cleansing and Land Grab

06 March 2024 | International Solidarity Movement | Masafer Yatta

A few days ago, villagers of Khallet Adabaa stood at the edge of their village and watched two illegal Israeli settlers driving on motorbikes up and down the hills surrounding the village – all of it private Palestinian land. Earlier in the day, settlers from the same nearby settlement of Mitzpe Yair kidnapped two Palestinian men from Khallet Adabaa. The settlers attacked the two men while they were working on their land, shot at them from a close distance, and took them to their settlement.

Illegal settlers on motorbikes on Palestinian land. @ISM

While the people of Khallet Adabaa waited for the news of the kidnapped men, settlers started to loudly riding adventure dirt bikes around the village over land they had just barred the Palestinians from working on.

Last week armed settlers in self-made military uniforms from the settlement Ha’vot Ma’on near A-Tuwani drove Palestinian shepherds from their lands in Humra. In the afternoon, in full view from the shepherds houses, a jogger crossed their lands from one settlement to another –and later, young settlers undressed and bathed in a Palestinian watering hole.

Settler jogging. @ISM

Settler bathing in a Palestinian watering hole. @ISM

Two weeks ago, settlers from Avigail kidnapped two men from Um Dhorit, and next morning, a settler youth paraded through the nearby villages on a horse.

The occupation forces project of ethnic cleansing and land grab plays out in ways beyond directly violent attacks. It is also enforced through sinister though mundane acts of indirect violence when settlers exploit Palestinian land for everyday activities, made possible by the firearms they carry, and always backed up by military, police force, and Israeli courts and politicians.

Settler youth parading through Palestinian villages. @ISM