Masafer yatta: Israeli colonists seized additional Palestinian land on Sunday in the village of Umm al-Kheir, located in Masafer Yatta in the farthest south of the occupied West Bank. Activist Osama Makhamra reported that armed colonists, under the protection of Israeli occupation forces, expanded the perimeter fence of the nearby illegal settlement of Carmel, encroaching further onto land belonging to Palestinian residents in the western part of the hamlet.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, when local residents attempted to resist the land seizure, Israeli forces responded by firing stun grenades and tear gas at them, physically assaulting several individuals, and detaining a number of people. Makhamra highlighted that settler violence in the area has been ongoing for months and is steadily escalating. These attacks include land clearing, excavation, tree planting, and the construction of settler roads.
These activities have effectively encircled the community with a ring of colonial expansion, increasing pressure on residents to leave and paving the way for forced displacement. The escalation of settler actions in the area has raised significant concerns about the future of Palestinian residents in Masafer Yatta, as their land and resources continue to be threatened by ongoing colonial expansion efforts.
