Hebron: Israeli authorities issued demolition and construction halt orders against 14 homes, a community center, and an agricultural and service facility in Khirbet Umm al-Khair in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron. This move paves the way for a widespread demolition and displacement campaign.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, Israeli troops stormed Khirbet Umm al-Khair in Masafer Yatta and delivered demolition and halt of construction notices to residents, including the seizure of citizens' property. Khalil al-Hathalin, head of the Khirbet Umm al-Khair Council, said that the occupation forces, accompanied by the so-called "Civil Administration," delivered final demolition notices targeting several homes and residential and service facilities.
The targeted structures include the Umm al-Khair Community Center, which has received a final demolition order. A plastic house measuring approximately 500 square meters, owned by Khalil Muhammad al-Hathalin, also received a final demolition order. Residential homes owned by Yasser Eid al-Hathalin, Sarah Eid al-Hathalin, Khalil Shuaib al-Hathalin, Khairallah Suleiman al-Hathalin, Hussam Salem Eid al-Hathalin, Bilal Salem Eid al-Hathalin, Musa Suleiman al-Hathalin, Eid Suleiman al-Hathalin, Maliha Hamad al-Hathalin, and Omar Suleiman al-Hathalin are all facing final demolition orders. Additionally, the home of Zayed Suleiman al-Hathalin has been issued a stop-work order, and a health unit owned by Khadra Suleiman al-Hathalin received a final demolition order.
Khirbet Umm al-Khair is among the most targeted Bedouin communities in Masafer Yatta. Since 2007, it has witnessed more than 20 demolition orders targeting over 100 residential, agricultural, and service facilities, the most recent of which was in February 2025. Residents of the community live in dire conditions, especially following the killing of Hajj Suleiman al-Hathalin and the escalation of violence by colonists who recently established a colonial outpost within the village's lands in a renewed attempt to displace the residents and seize their lands.
