Thursday, May 17, 2012

Firing Zone 918 - South Hebron Hills


For over a decade, the residents of twelve uniquely traditional Palestinian villages in the area of Masafer-Yatta in the south Hebron hills have lived under the constant threat of demolition, evacuation, and dispossession. Israel had declared their area of livelihood a "Firing Zone" and in 1999 issued evacuation orders to remove the inhabitants of the villages, claiming that they are nonpermanent residents and ignoring their ancient culture of husbandry cultivation.
The evacuation was halted by a interim injunction issued by the Israeli High Court of Justice (HCJ) in the year 2000 and in response to two petitions filed by the residents. Since then, repeated requests for extensions by the State Attorney's Office prolonged the proceedings for many years, leaving the petitions pending with the interim injunction still in force. Recently, after years of stagnation, the case has reawakened leading the Minister of Defense to formulate an official position on the matter, which will be submitted to the Court by May 17, 2012.
The State's insistence on evacuation of Firing Zone 918 in part or in whole, if acceptance by the HCJ, might result in an immediate humanitarian disaster for almost two thousand souls, the destruction of villages, and the eradication of a remarkable way of life that has endured for centuries.

Palestinian cave dwellers caught in Israel's crossfire - The independent
Cave-dwelling Palestinian farmers facing eviction from homes - Telegraph

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