Mufaqara - they are afraid of the settlers and don't go out to graze the flock
We came to visit Fadel Hamamada because he and his family suffer a lot from the settlers all the time and from the Civil Administration.
He tells about a settler who lives in a bus between the outpost Mitzpe Abigail and himself, who constantly comes around with an ATV and throws stones and drives his children with the sheep away. His son, Adham was also wounded in the head by a stone two weeks ago.
And since then, they are afraid and don’t go out to graze the flock. According to him, this settler was also rejected by the settlers from Mitzpe Abigail and there are conflicts between them.
In addition, he has a demolition order from the Civil Administration without a definite date on the broken-down building in which his wives, children and grandchildren live. This problem is dealt by St. Yves, an organization of Arabs and Jews who help the Palestinians, based in both Jerusalem and Bethlehem.
He has submitted all the documents required to prove his ownership of the “house” and has already paid the requested thousands and is waiting.
During our visit, the mobile clinic of Doctors for Human Rights came to vaccinate the babies and treat those who need it. Fadel says they are always short of medicine.
Fadel says that until the Feast of the Sacrifice there were foreign volunteers whose presence helped him a lot. They were forced to leave during the holiday and have not yet returned.
He hopes they will return to live with him and give him security and help him face the settlers.
Mesafer Yatta
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This is happening in Fire Area 918 in the South Hebron Hills
On the eve of Remembrance Day (the day before Israel Independence Day), 4th May, 2022, the Israeli High Court decided on the transfer and expulsion of residents from 8 Palestinian communities in the area of Masafar Yata in the South Hebron Hills. Residents of the villages have been living under the threat of demolition, evacuation and expropriation since the IDF issued evacuation orders in 1999 based on the 1980s proclamation of their area of residence as a firing zone for IDF drills. None of the nearby settlements were included in this zone. The Masafer Yata Palestinian villages retain a special lifestyle and ancient agricultural culture. They also posess a clear historical documentation that testifies to a Palestinian settlement in this area, generations before the establishment of Israel, long ago in the caves and at later times outside them.
Evacuating residents from the area means destroying these historic villages and leaving entire families (about 2,000 people, children, adults, and the elderly) homeless. This is contrary to international law.
In June 2022, a firing drill started, and life became harder.
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