Masafer Yatta - a demonstration near Jinba

It’s the usual Sunday, lots of traffic. On our way – fields turning green.

We came to At-Tuwani to see Nasser, who began to tell us about all the injuries they have suffered of late:

• On the day of the terrorist attack in the Jerusalem bus station, colonists threw stones and the army never arrested them. The colonists hit vehicles, broke windows.
• Two days before our visit, near Umm Al Kheir, colonists uprooted olive trees (see attached video).
• At Shu’ub Al-Butum, too, about 4 dunams of ancient olive trees were uprooted.
• Colonists from Havat Maon came a day earlier through the fields of At-Tuwani. Volunteers came to film them, and then the colonists left.
• Demolition orders are being issued constantly in the area’s villages.
• On Saturday a demonstration was held near Jinba, a small village in the southern part of Masafer Yatta. The Israeli army closed it off with a gate about 7 months ago. Since then, soldiers there are always checking and detaining whoever comes and goes, in order to frighten them, make people leave, and prevent the arrival of guests, media etc. The demonstration consisted of about 40-50 people, of all kinds of organizations, both sraeli and international. The army came later and dispersed them. Bassel Al-Adara wrote an item about it in Siha Mekomit (Local Call) website.

The situation in the region is deteriorating. At the same time, the situation of the Palestinians there is worsening.