January Updates from Masafer Yatta

As the genocide in Gaza continues unfolding, the occupation forces also continue pursuing their colonial attack here in Masafer Yatta. Just in the last month, we have witnessed raids from violent settlers, the IOF, demolitions, and arrests.
The year, for us, began with a night raid in the village of Tuba by settlers.
Only two days later, the Israeli Occupation Forces shot a young man from the village of Hmaidi and prevented anyone to get close to him to provide him with an emergency medical aid.
On the fourth of January, the IOF raided the village of Tuwani at night in an attempt to terrorise its residents and to arrest one of the residents, also confiscating his car. On the same day, the occupation forces shot tear gas at the farmers of the village of Sadat Al tha’la while they were working the land.

This is one of the most common tactics used by the IOF in the area, preventing the local Palestinians from working their land by continuously harrassing them, they prevent them from having a livelihood and subsequenlty, forcing them to leave causing their displacement from the area. Similar attacks also took place the 8th of January in Susya, and the 13th of January in Al Jawaya. Settlers very much aid this tactic, constantly defended by the army.

For instance, as it happened on the 8th of January in the village of Al Jawaya, settlers enter, raid, search and destroy the houses of Palestinians, without ever facing any consequences for these vile attacks.

On the 23rd of January, the IOF carried out the demolition of a home of Palestinians in the village of Lasaifer here in the South Hebron Hills.

Only five days later, the IOF chased Palestinian shepherds and prevented them from grazing in the village of Tuwani in masafer yatta , while at the same time illegal extremists settlers continued to graze in Palestinians land with the protection of the very same IOF soldiers. After this, the army also violently arrested the head of the village council of Tuwani.

As not a day goes by peacefully in the area of Masafer Yatta, continuously harrassed and attacked by both settlers and IOF, we know that the colonial state of Israel relies on the lack of media coverage in this area to prevent international outrage, as they attempt to ethnically cleanse Masafer Yatta from its inhabitants. Continue to follow us on social media to make sure the brutality of this colonial state does not got unnoticed.