Hebron: Israeli occupation forces Sunday detained three Palestinian shepherds in Masafer Yatta, south of the occupied West Bank city of Hebron, according to a media activist. Osama Makhamra reported that a group of colonists, under army protection, chased Palestinian shepherds in the al-Rahim area before the gun-toting soldiers rounded up three shepherds.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, colonists also pursued shepherds close to At-Tawani village and several other hamlets, and tore down an agricultural shed in Shi'b al-Butum. Masafer Yatta, which comprises 19 hamlets, relies heavily on animal husbandry as its primary source of livelihood.
The region, located in Area C of the West Bank under full Israeli administrative and military control, has faced repeated violations by settlers and soldiers targeting the community's main source of living-livestock. Since the 1980s, it has been designated as a closed Israeli military zone for training, known as Firing Zone 918.
Israeli violations against the area include the demolition of animal barns, homes, and residential structures. The issuance of construction permits by Israel to local Palestinians in the area is non-existent.
