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Palestinian crops vandalized, people terrified and houses shacked by Israeli Military Trainings in Masafer Yatta, south east Hebron governorate

2021-02-03

Violation: Vandalizing citizens' crops.

Date: 2-3 / 2 / 2021

Location: Masafer Yatta / Hebron Governorate

Perpetrators: Israeli Occupation Forces.

Affected Party: citizens of Masafer Yatta.


The Israeli occupation army carried out military trainings in the villages of Masafer Yatta, in which heavy military vehicles which damaged agricultural lands and caused a severe panic among citizens.

According to eyewitnesses in Masafer Yatta, the training began on Tuesday morning, February 2nd 2021, when the Military Column came from the side of the city of Arad behind the green line (inside the borders of the so called Israel) ,  and camped on the border area until the evening hours of that day.


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Photos 1-6: shots from Military trainings at Masafer Yatta

On Tuesday/Wednesday night the tanks and armored vehicles moved towards Masafer Yatta, heading to an old camp and training site for the occupation army east of the village of Jinba, where they spent the night there and fired artillery shells that terrified citizens and their children.

At the morning hours of Wednesday, 3/2/2021, the occupation forces ended their military traings, gathered their vehicles, and passed among the houses of the village of Jinba to the east, heading to a camp near the village of Susiya through a 12 km long route.

During the movement of military vehicles on the lands of the village of Jinba and among its houses heavy damage was caused to  the citizens 'cereal crops of wheat and barley. The water pipe that provides to the mosque and the village clinic was cut, in addition to sharply shaking the already weak and fragile houses of the local community which are made of bricks, and tin plates.  One of the tanks got off the track and wreaked havoc in a cave belongs to the Abu Aram family.


The military vehicles also passed by the village of Bir Al-Id, and entered a plot belong to citizen Ziad Abu Aram, in addition to destroying about 5 dunams of winter crops, as well as vandalizing the agricultural road that connects the villages of Masafer Yatta together.

It should be noted that the occupation authorities consider the Masafer Yatta area, (about 50,000 dunums) a military training area, and classified it as "firing zone 918", where military training and exercises are carried out there from time to time. The occupation authorities seek, behind these actions, to deport the indigenous people of Masafer Yatta villages, about 15 gatherings, and seize their lands in order to carry on with military drills and expanding the existed illegal colonies.



This report was prepred with EU funding

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