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Life in a “Firing Zone”: the Masafer Yatta Communities

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Life in a “Firing Zone”: the Masafer Yatta Communities oPt MAY 2013 Life in a “Firing Zone” THE MASSAFER YATTA PERSONAL STORY COMMUNITIES I was born in Khirbet Saroura and have lived there for more than 30 years; I got married and my wife delivered 10 children there. I left in 1996 with other families when At least 1,300 people currently before the Israeli occupation began the road to our village was closed by the nearby Ma’on settlement but I continued live in the Masafer Yatta area of in 1967. However, in the 1980s to access my land in the area for several years. However, we continued to experience south Hebron Hills. Palestinian the Israeli authorities designated violent attacks by settlers from Ma’on settlement; in 2003 for example the settlers attacked us while we were harvesting our wheat - they set our crops alight and killed communities have been living in most of this area, including 14 my donkey. Since that time I haven’t accessed Khirbet Saroura but the land is cultivated this area for decades, many since communities, as a closed military by my relatives who still live nearby. CASE STUDY zone for training, a so-called “Firing Zone 918”. Subsequently, these I had 120 heads of animals which I sold after I left Khirbet Saroura; I had no house to live in so I built a small house in Irafaiyeh but this was later demolished by the Israeli communities have been subject to a authorities because I didn’t have a permit for building it. My childrens houses in Irfaiyeh also have demolition orders against them. The barn I built in Irfaiyeh to house the five cows that are my new source of income also has a demolition order. I lost everything Our life is so when I fled Khirbet Saroura. difficult, we are under Mohammed, 54 years old. range of policies and practices that of their homes and property, on the pressure from the have undermined their physical grounds that this area was a “Firing security, lowered their standard Zone”. A few months later, the Israeli settlers, IDF and civil of living, and increased their High Court of Justice, in a response administration to poverty levels and dependence on to a petition from the residents, humanitarian aid. The communities issued an interim injunction order give up and leave our are at continuous risk of forcible allowing some of the people to villages… transfer out of the area. temporarily return, pending a final court decision. In 2012, in the context In 1999, the Israeli military evicted Khalid, 44 years old, of the ongoing legal case, the most of the residents from the area a community leader Israeli authorities confirmed and destroyed or confiscated most www.ochaopt.org United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs occupied Palestinian territory P. O. Box 38712 East Jerusalem 91386 l tel +972 (0)2 582 9962 l fax +972 (0)2 582 5841 l [email protected] Coordination Saves Lives they intend to “remove” nine of the of settler violence or by the Israeli remaining communities from the military, and thus have reduced area and allow only limited access income with which to meet their for cultivation and grazing. The own needs, increasing their levels Israeli authorities have continued to of poverty. All of the communities argue that the residents of Masafer located in the Firing Zone are Yatta are living in the area illegally dependent upon food assistance and that they are seasonal dwellers, from humanitarian organizations. not permanent residents, a status Palestinians in these areas are which under current Israeli military unable to plan and develop their orders would allow them to stay. communities. Currently, most of Many of the families however the homes and infrastructure in April 2010 OCHA on 8 The photo by have documentation proving their Al Fakheit clinic, operated by Union of Health Work Committee, and CARE International - Masafer Yatta has been issued with ownership of the land. funded by ECHO. The clinic provides primary health care services and operates once weekly. a ‘demolition’ or ‘stop work’ order Families in two other communities in by the Israeli Civil Administration. the area – Al Kharoubeh and Khirbet At least 80 residential structures and families also live in caves. None of for their livestock but they are not Sarura – have already been forced animal shelters have received such the families are connected to the allowed to build on their own land”. to leave their homes as a result of orders, on the grounds that they water network and thus rely on The restrictions on development settlement activity, including settler were built without the necessary tankered water, provided at up to apply also to the construction of violence. building permits from the Israeli eight times the normal cost. They public service buildings like schools authorities. Building permits cannot are not connected to the electricity Like many other Palestinian and health clinics. There is only one be obtained by these communities network either. At least 30 water communities located in Area C, basic primary school in the area because the land has been designated cisterns, and six solar panels and which is under full Israeli military which has a classrooms located as a “Firing Zone”. wind turbine systems owned by the and administrative control, in Jinba and Al Fakheit – both communities have been issued with Palestinians living in Masafer Yatta Because they are not able to build classrooms have been issued with ‘demolition’ orders. are particularly vulnerable and food ‘legally’, the families in this area demolition orders. Children must insecure. They rely on livestock, are living in sub-standard housing, “These communities are in a walk up to four kilometres to reach mostly sheep and goats, as their unable to expand or even maintain Catch-22 situation” said the UN’s these classrooms and up to seven primary source of income. Some their existing homes which are Humanitarian Coordinator, Mr. kilometres to reach the nearest high families are unable to support their simple old stone houses, concrete James W. Rawley who has visited school. A local mosque has been livestock since access to grazing walled structures with tin roofs or the area; ”they need to provide demolished twice since 2011 and areas is restricted due to the threat more temporary structures. Many homes for their families and shelter there are no paved roads serving the 2 LIFE IN A “FIRING ZONE”: THE MASSAFER YATTA COMMUNITIES MAY 2013 community. The local health clinic by confiscation of organisations’ children. We urge the Israeli also has a demolition order issued Last August, during vehicles and equipment, and by authorities to halt the demolitions against it. Ramadan, the army raided our restrictions on the physical access of of homes and infrastructure humanitarian workers to the area. belonging to these communities, to Since the late 1970’s, the Israeli house. They forced us to go facilitate access for humanitarian authorities declared thousands of “These communities are already outside and sit in the sun for a organizations trying to assist them dunams in and around Masafer very vulnerable” said Mr. Rawley. long time, including my father and ultimately to allow them to Yatta, including within the firing “Displacing them from their homes who is 85 years old. He was remain on their land, to live in safety zone, as “state land”. This land and land would be absolutely and dignity”, he added. was subsequently leased to the fasting and it was very hot. They devastating, particularly for the World Zionist Organization, which poured yoghurt and ghee that allocated them for the development we have produced on the floor. of Israeli settlements, illegal under We had invested a lot of work Israeli-declared “Firing Zones” international law. Consequently, in that Approximately 18% of the West Bank has been designated as “Firing Zones”. At least Palestinian communities in Masafer 24 year old Zainab 5,000 Palestinians, mostly herders, live in 38 communities in these areas. Although Yatta became gradually surrounded many of the communities have lived in the areas in question for decades, Palestinian by a belt of Israeli settlements from access to the areas is formally prohibited and their Palestinian residents face repeated the north, east and southeast. One demolitions and displacement. At least ten Israeli settlement outposts, illegal under from Israeli settlers and there has been settlement outpost, established in Israeli law, are partially or completely located in “Firing Zones”. According to available little or no law enforcement by the the middle of the firing zone (Old information, few of these settlement outposts have been removed or their structures Israeli authorities to prevent this. The Ma’on Farm), was removed by the issued with ‘demolition’ orders. Israeli authorities in 2004. communities have also been subjected to regular search and arrest operations Under international humanitarian law, Israel is obliged to protect the Palestinian The establishment of Israeli and by Israeli military training exercises civilian population and to administer the occupied territory for their benefit. The settlements in the area has resulted in conducted in the area. forcible transfer of civilians from or within occupied territory is absolutely prohibited, increased restrictions on the freedom regardless of the motive and whether the affected residents are permanent or of movement of the communities, Humanitarian organizations and donors seasonal dwellers. An occupying power may temporarily evacuate people from their reduced the space available to are currently providing assistance to homes only in the context of active hostilities, if people’s safety or imperative military reasons so demand. Those affected must be provided with adequate shelter and other them for grazing their livestock these communities in an effort to meet assistance for the duration of evacuation.
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