19 Palestinian villages in Masafer Yatta town resist Israeli occupation’s judiazation plan

The Israeli occupation attempts to displace the Palestinians from the Palestinian town of Masafer Yatta in the West Bank city of Al-Khalil has not stopped for the past four decades. To this end, the occupation uprooted trees, vandalized crops and pastures, demolished houses, stopped water supplies, established settlement outposts and launched daily attacks on the Palestinians whose strong will and steadfastness have never weakened in resisting the occupation’s bid to change the Palestinian Arab identity and judaize the Palestinian land.

As a result of the occupation’s continuous attacks, more than 3000 Palestinians are to be forcibly displaced from the town which contains 19 villages extending over an area of 38500 dunums, and which is located over the hills overlooking the northern Naqab area.

In 1982, the occupation began implementing its plan to Judaize these villages by demolishing dozens of Palestinian houses in the village of Susiya.  The deadly silence of the international community over the Israeli crimes encouraged the occupation to continue with its policy of ethnic cleansing against the locals in this village and today tens of settlements are besieging the village and the Israeli settlers are destroying all elements of life there.

 Walid Assaf, Head of the Official Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission, told SANA that the occupation’s settlement plan in the villages of Masafer Yatta town is one of the most dangerous schemes, as it threatens of seizing 29% of the area of the West Bank and completing the annexation of the Jordan Valley area.

“Masafer Yatta is a water-rich area and 130,000 Palestinians benefit from its water resources. Also, 60% of the livestock production in the West Bank comes from this town,” Assaf made it clear, warning that its seizure by the occupation will result in a humanitarian and economic catastrophe.

On his part, the Coordinator of the Committee to Combat the Wall and Settlement in the South of the West Bank Ratib Jabour said that the occupation’s settlement scheme south of Al-Khalil city passes through two phases: the first is manifested in besieging the villages, attacking the residents and demolishing the houses and facilities, while the second is demonstrated in displacing the locals to expand the settlements, thereby completely isolating the villages from Al-Khalil city and its surrounding.

Salah Al-Khawaja, the Coordinator of the People’s Committee to Resist the Apartheid Wall and Settlements, said that the Palestinians in Masafer Yatta are steadfastly battling the occupation’s plans of displacement and ethnic cleansing amid the international community’s silence over these crimes which blatantly violate all international laws.

Hamda Mustafa