Masafer Yatta Under Siege: Demolitions Leave Palestinian Families Without Homes

Hebron / PNN /

Demolitions of Palestinian homes and structures continue in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron, one of the areas most affected by demolition and displacement policies. The demolitions have targeted inhabited homes, residential tents, water wells and agricultural structures, leaving dozens of families displaced and without adequate shelter.

Residents of Masafer Yatta have lived for years under the constant threat of eviction and demolition, amid repeated orders targeting communities in the area. The situation has deepened humanitarian hardship and raised concerns over the future of Palestinians seeking to remain on their land.

The current campaign is among the most extensive demolition campaigns witnessed in the area, leaving numerous families without homes and prompting warnings of worsening conditions and continued risks of forced displacement.

In the Deirat area of Masafer Yatta, the impact of the demolitions extends beyond the loss of homes, displacing dozens of families and depriving them of basic necessities.

Resident Radi Ibrahim Jabr Al-Jabreen described what happened to his family and the deteriorating conditions faced by residents as demolitions intensified.

A Home for Three Families

Al-Jabreen said the home demolished by Israeli forces consisted of two floors, each covering about 165 square metres, and housed three families comprising around 25 people, including children and women.

His sons and their families lived on the two floors, while he and his wife also shared the house.

Tent Demolished, Land Levelled

After receiving a demolition notice, the family erected a tent and moved into it after losing their home. About a month later, Israeli forces returned and demolished the tent before levelling the land where it had stood, depriving the family even of its temporary shelter.

Deirat Declared a Disaster Area

Ibrahim Al-Jabreen said Deirat was facing catastrophic conditions as demolitions escalated. More than 10 homes have been demolished in just two months, he said, describing the area as a "disaster-stricken town" suffering from continuing displacement and the forced uprooting of residents.

Calls for Official Intervention

Al-Jabreen expressed frustration over what he described as a lack of official support, saying no government body or ministry had visited the affected families or assessed their needs following the demolitions.

He called for serious action to support residents who have lost their homes and are facing increasingly difficult humanitarian conditions.

Activists say the demolitions in Masafer Yatta go beyond the removal of individual structures and amount to an assault on the Palestinian presence in the area.

Sami Al-Harini, an activist with the popular resistance in Masafer Yatta, described the current campaign as the broadest and most intense in years, saying it threatens Palestinians' ability to remain and live on their land.

Al-Harini said Israeli forces were targeting the basic shelter of Palestinians in southern Hebron, including homes that provide families with protection and stability. He said all homes in the area now face the risk of demolition at any time.

He described the demolition campaign as "frenzied", saying its pace had reached unprecedented levels, with demolitions taking place more than twice a week.

Displacement and the Destruction of Family Futures

Al-Harini said the demolitions were not limited to destroying buildings but were also displacing dozens of Palestinian families and disrupting their futures by depriving them of their homes and stability, with consequences for their social and economic lives.

Construction in Area C

Al-Harini said Israel justifies the demolitions by citing what it calls "illegal construction" in Area C, while Palestinians regard building on their own land as a legitimate right and consider developing their land and constructing homes an essential part of remaining there.

He said continued demolitions deprive Palestinians of basic rights, foremost among them the right to housing, and seek to undermine their presence and prevent them from exercising their right to live and establish themselves on their land.

Al-Harini called for greater support for residents of Masafer Yatta and for assistance that would strengthen their ability to remain on their land and withstand demolition and displacement policies.

Legal and Human Rights Concerns

The demolitions have also raised legal and human rights questions over their compatibility with international law and human rights standards.

Farid Al-Atrash, director of the Independent Commission for Human Rights in the southern West Bank, said the right to housing is a fundamental internationally recognised right and that continued home demolitions constitute a direct violation of that right.

Al-Atrash said adequate housing is among the most important human rights, enabling people to live with dignity, security and stability. He said housing is not merely a physical shelter but a basic component of a person's wellbeing and security.

He cited the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which recognises the right to an adequate standard of living, including adequate housing that protects people's dignity and provides security and stability.

Adequate housing, he said, means more than simply having a roof over one's head. It includes conditions that allow people to live with dignity and without the threat of displacement or losing their homes.

State Responsibility

Al-Atrash said ensuring adequate housing is not only a right but also a responsibility of the state, which must ensure that people can enjoy that right fairly and without discrimination, in line with legal and human rights obligations.

Documenting Violations

Regarding the role of the Independent Commission for Human Rights, Al-Atrash said the commission documents violations affecting the right to housing, monitors home demolitions and their humanitarian consequences, and prepares human rights reports and files documenting such practices according to international legal standards.

He said the commission seeks to bring these violations to the attention of the international community by communicating with international human rights organisations and providing a clear account of the conditions faced by Palestinians subjected to demolition and displacement policies.

Al-Atrash called on international organisations and states to fulfil their legal, ethical and humanitarian responsibilities and take effective steps to protect Palestinians' right to housing amid what he described as continuing settlement expansion and the infringement of Palestinian land and rights, including the right to housing and a dignified life.

Amid the ruins of demolished homes and tents, families in Masafer Yatta continue to face increasingly harsh conditions with each new demolition. Residents recount losing their homes, activists warn of expanding displacement, and rights advocates stress that the right to housing is protected under international law and that the international community has a responsibility to protect civilians.

As demolitions continue, residents of Masafer Yatta remain determined to stay on their land despite challenges threatening their stability and continued presence in the area.

This video was produced as part of the Media Support in Times of Crisis project, implemented by Palestine News Network in cooperation with the Palestine Journalism Operator.