Hebron: Israeli occupation forces demolished three homes today in Khirbet Khallat al-Farra, one of the villages west of Yatta, south of Hebron. Activist Khaled al-Qaimari reported that the occupation forces demolished three inhabited homes belonging to Raafat, Thaer, and Issa Harb, all of whom are relatives.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, al-Qaimari explained that the occupation authorities had previously notified the homeowners of the demolition order, and that they had filed objections with the Israeli court, but to no avail. He highlighted the ongoing struggles faced by the town of Yatta and its surrounding villages, which endure a policy of siege and demolition. The residents also face harassment by settlers who burn homes, destroy property and crops, and steal land and livestock under the protection of the occupation forces.
The issue traces back twenty-five years when the Israeli army filed a case to evict and displace Palestinian residents from 12 villages in Masafer Yatta, claiming they were "training and firing zones." The army asserted that the area was uninhabited before 1980, a claim refuted by residents who have lived there for decades. Currently, some 1,800 Palestinians reside in 28 communities in Masafer Yatta, spread across more than 30,000 dunams, while the colonial expansion project targets thousands more dunams of their land.