Muhammad Moussa Abu Aram, 59 with two of his children, Alaa and Rims are seen in their cave at al-Majaz , one of the twelve traditional Palestinian villages in the area of Masafer-Yatta in the South Hebron Hills
Credit: Quique Kierszenbaum for the Telegraph
Ibrahim Mohyee casts a rueful glance over his meagre possessions in a cave on the edge of the Judean desert, which has served as his family’s home for three generations.
“The people are staying strong but they are suffering. This would break up the community and make them move away,” says the Palestinian shepherd as he invites The Telegraph into his cave, which he claims dates back to the Canaanite period.
Mr Mohyee, 53, is one of a thousand Palestinians who could soon be evicted from their homes in Masafer Yatta, an impoverished region of the West Bank which Israel has declared a firing zone for training exercises.
The shepherd’s village of Al-Fakheit, and 11 others like it, are mostly clusters of caves and makeshift houses that lie on a remote stretch of the West Bank’s Area C, which is under full Israeli military control.
The villages are some of the poorest in the West Bank, relying on NGO-funded water cisterns and solar panels for electricity.
For the past 20 years, the villagers have been stuck in legal limbo as they await an Israeli court verdict on whether they will be forced to abandon the area. Israeli forces have already demolished a number of houses and animal shelters in the region as they were built without permits.
The dispute is being closely watched by Britain and the European Union, who claim that Israel’s ongoing demolition of Palestinian villages breaches international law and causes “unnecessary suffering.”
A general view of Majaz basic school, which was built with EU funding
Credit: Quique Kierszenbaum
As a result, Brussels and London have sent diplomats to inspect the site of recent demolitions in the remote area. The hilly terrain is so treacherous that diplomats must travel in a convoy of four-wheel-drive vehicles to reach the villages, followed by a group of reporters.
"We call upon Israel not to carry out demolitions in the said communities, which are highly vulnerable,” says Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff, the EU’s representative to the Palestinians, during the visit to Masafer Yatta.
“Displacing the communities would be in contravention with Israel’s obligations as an occupying power under international humanitarian law.”
Speaking to The Telegraph, he adds that Britain “shares fully our concerns” about the firing zone, in a sign that Brexit has not dampened cooperation on foreign policy.
A spokesman for the British consulate in Jerusalem agreed: “Demolitions and evictions cause unnecessary suffering to Palestinians and damage the prospects of a two state solution," they said. The Israeli government declined to comment on those claims when contacted by The Telegraph.
Ibrahim Mohyee, 53, is seen in his cave at village of al-Fakheit
Credit: Quique Kierszenbaum
Walking through another village, al-Majaz, it becomes clear that it would probably no longer exist without funding from Brussels, as many of the buildings bear the EU’s distinctive blue and yellow-star logo.
“I am not exaggerating if I say the EU basically supports this community in supplying everything,” says Nidal Yunis, the Palestinian head of Masafer Yatta municipality.
The legal case neared its final stages last month after the Palestinians rejected Israel’s proposal for a compromise where they would be allowed to live in their homes for a limited period of time each year.
Human rights activists say it would be unfeasible for the villagers to maintain their farms if they were only allowed to inhabit the land on a part-time basis.
Israel has argued that the villagers have permanent residences they can move to in Yatta, a nearby Palestinian city, though the communities dispute this.
The final verdict is expected to be announced shortly as the judge presiding over the case is due to retire early next year.
Palestinian children play at Majaz basic school in the village of Al-Majaz
Credit: Quique Kierszenbaum
Yehuda Shaul, the co-founder of human rights group Breaking the Silence, which is supporting the residents of Masafer Yatta, says their lives have been put on hold for 20 years as they are banned by Israel from developing their communities.
Another Masafer Yatta resident, Muhammad Moussa Abu Aram, spoke of his dread about being forced to leave his home, adding that “every aspect of life is difficult here" due to Israeli military activity.
But the 59-year-old shepherd remains hopeful that pressure from Europe could yet lead to Israel allowing the villagers to remain.
“We’re very thankful for all the assistance,” he says, flanked by his two excited children, Alaa and Rims. “We need help and we want Europe to raise their voice about this.”
Свежие комментарии