"We were left in the open air": The Civil Administration demolished Palestinian structures in Masafer Yatta
According to the IDF, the structures demolished in the Palestinian village of Khirbet at-Taban in the southern Hebron Hills were built illegally in a firing zone. About 70 residents from 12 families lived there. One of them said: "It was a demolition of the entire village." The families stated: "We will stay until our last breath."
"They didn't leave a sheep pen, not even water wells": The Civil Administration demolished on Wednesday structures in the Palestinian village of Khirbet at-Taban in Masafer Yatta in the southern Hebron Hills, which, according to the forces, were established in an IDF firing zone without building permits.
A local resident claimed that "they entered and left, they didn't leave water or electricity." The village was populated by 12 families, and the structures included houses, warehouses, water wells, sheep pens, and even caves that were also used for living. In total, there are about 70 people, including 28 children under the age of 18.
After the Civil Administration personnel demolished the village, the families stated:
"They think that when they demolish, we will leave — no. This is our land that we inherited from our fathers. We will rebuild. We will stay until our last breath."
The resident Fallah Hamoud described that the forces arrived early in the morning: "They entered from the north and left from the south. They didn't leave a room, not a pen, not a water network, and not an electricity network. They even destroyed the water wells. We are now left in the open air." The resident Muhammad Hamamda added: "It was a demolition of the entire village: caves, rooms, wells, service units, and sheep pens."
The area is at the heart of a long-standing dispute, as it is used as firing zone 918 and covers about 35,000 dunams. However, in practice, about 12 Palestinian communities live there. The IDF declared the area a firing zone for training purposes as early as the beginning of the 80s. In May 2022, the Supreme Court rejected the petitions and allowed the evacuation.
In the security establishment, it has been emphasized that the very presence of structures in a firing zone does not allow for construction without a permit and that the Civil Administration is obligated to enforce the demolition orders. Human rights organizations and Palestinian residents claim that the enforcement discriminates against them, but these claims were rejected by the security establishment.
Four bulldozers and about ten military vehicles of the IDF and the Border Police participated in the operation. The IDF stated:
"The IDF, including the Civil Administration and all security bodies, will continue to act to strengthen security and maintain order in Judea and Samaria, while placing emphasis on the enforcement of structures that harm the security and stability of the region."
