Sitting on the remnants of what looked like a sofa, A family Palestine observe, ida, the ruins of her home. A few meters away, his neighbors do the same, but with the remains of his own house. The image is repeated in the Masafer Yatta area in the south of the occupied West Bank. building demolitions This is the first step to deportation. After the Supreme Court decision, which put an end to the legal struggle of more than twenty years, this community. Now, Israel Prepares to deport 1,200 Palestinians in one of the largest forced displacements Since the beginning of the occupation more than half a century ago, the population
We have been in the field for weeks to protest the decision, and the Israeli Army continued. using violence against our communityd”, Palestinian journalist and activist Basil Al Adraa from Masafer Yatta explains to this newspaper. There are 19 villages scattered across hills and valleys in this desert region of the West Bank, about 30 kilometers southeast of Hebron. Until recently, the population living in underground caves consists of Palestinian Bedouins who are engaged in agriculture and animal husbandry.
But those days under the shelter of the caves are back. More than 50 people already live in tents and caves in very difficult conditions. The Israeli Army blocks their access to water or electricity”, explains Al Adraa. In the 1980s, Israel declared these 3,000 arid hectares a closed military zone. He called it “Fire Zone 918,” and that’s how soldiers and politicians referred to it. This “very important” area on the border between Israel and the West Bank was chosen to facilitate the deportation of the indigenous Palestinian population.
“As if they weren’t human”
The Palestinians of Masafer Yatta, on the other hand, embarked on a legal battle 23 years ago that was resolved last month. After the 1948 Nakba disaster, the Supreme Court concluded that residents “would not be able to prove their claim to permanent residence” before the area was declared a shooting range, although many still had purchasing documents. court “The State [israelí] commit war crimescondemned B’Tselem, an Israeli organization fighting against the occupation.
“For generations, these communities have been living, making a living, and raising their children on this land, long before Israel invaded the West Bank,” he said.With one stroke of the pen, the court erased all their past as if they were not human.decided that none of this happened and therefore the State could deport them,” he said. Masafer Yatta is located in Area C of the occupied West Bank, which is equivalent to 60% of the territory exclusively controlled by Israel. Since the invasion began 55 years ago, one-fifth of Area C has been declared a military zone for shooting ranges and maneuvers.
Permissions for settlers
Although the Israeli authorities allowed Construction of Jewish settlements around the military zone. Since 2006, the Israeli civil administration has issued only 75 building permits to Palestinians living in Area C. cillegal colonies that violate international law and are an obstacle to any peace effort. The international community reacted to the tragedy described in Masafer Yatta. European delegation to Palestine condemns the court’s decision violates international lawIsrael, as the occupying power, is responsible for protecting the civilian population.
In the US, 83 Democratic senators and congressmen called on the State Department to prevent the deportation of Palestinians in Masafer Yatta, weeks before President Joe Biden’s visit to Israel. However, on the ground, the results are minimal. “Israeli troops are blocking the roads to Masafer Yatta and are already recording the names of the people who live there, protecting the settlers attacking Palestinian and Israeli activists,” says Al Adraa. “People are worried, this is the step before evacuation”, he concludes.