Israel Orders Halt on Construction of 3 Palestinian Dwellings in Masafer Yatta

Israel Orders Halt on Construction of 3 Palestinian Dwellings in Masafer Yatta

Israeli police stand in front of a bulldozer demolishing homes in Masafer Yatta in front of the occupied West Bank, June 1, 2022. (Photo: B'Tselem)

Israel on Tuesday ordered a halt on the construction of three dwellings in Masafer Yatta in the southern occupied West Bank of AlKhalil, according to a local source.

Palestinian news agency WAFA quoted Palestinian activist  Fuad al-Amour as stating that Israeli forces and officers of the so-called Civil Administration barged their way into At Tuwani, one of the 19 hamlets making up Masafer Yatta, and handed three residents notices, ordering them to halt the construction of their dwellings, each of which covers an area of 80 square meters.

Recently, Israel’s top court gave the army the green light to forcibly expel some 1,300 Palestinians living in twelve villages or hamlets making up the Masafer Yatta area, which relies heavily on animal husbandry as the main source of livelihood, marking one of the largest expulsions carried out by the State of Israel in recent decades.

Located in Area C of the West Bank, under full Israeli administrative and military control, the area has been subjected to repeated Israeli violations by settlers and soldiers targeting their main source of living - livestock.

It has been designated as a closed Israeli military zone for training since 1980s and accordingly referred to as Firing Zone 918.

Israeli violations against the area include demolition of animal barns, homes and residential structures. Issuance of construction permits by Israel to local Palestinians in the area is non-existent.

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