Yumna Patel
Mondoweiss / August 2, 2022
In May 2022 the Israeli Supreme Court ruled to expel the Palestinians living in the South Hebron Hills of the occupied West Bank and hand their land over to the Israeli military. Meet the Palestinians fighting to stay in their homes and resist what rights groups are calling a war crime under international law.
The army has used huge swaths of the land as an active firing zone for years, putting the local communities there at risk. Now, with the backing of the Supreme Court, the army has the power to expel an estimated 1,300 Palestinians from the area, and completely demolish eight villages.
Rights groups say it’s an act that would amount to forcible transfer, a war crime under international law.
“This court is oppressive and racist, and only supports the Israeli side, period,” Sami Hureini, a local activist and resident of Masafer Yatta told Mondoweiss.
“After twenty years in the courts, from 2000 until today, the decision has never changed, that is the biggest injustice,” Hureini continued.
“The people provided all the historic proof of ownership over this land. But the occupation threw all of this away. There is no such thing as justice in this court.”
VIDEO :
Saving Masafer Yatta: The Fight Against Expulsion – Mondoweiss
Yumna Patel is the Palestine News Director for Mondoweiss