Senior diplomats from several countries are joining us and @btselem today in the South Hebron Hills, where the State of Israel is currently attempting to expel the residents of several Palestinian villages to make way for a large training area for the IDF—'Firing Zone 918'. 
Here are the facts:
1) In the 80s the IDF designated a 30K dunam area in Masafer Yatta, to be 'Firing Zone 918'. At the time, 100s of Palestinian families in 12 villages had lived there for years. In fact, they've lived there since before the State of Israel was even established.
1) In the 80s the IDF designated a 30K dunam area in Masafer Yatta, to be 'Firing Zone 918'. At the time, 100s of Palestinian families in 12 villages had lived there for years. In fact, they've lived there since before the State of Israel was even established.
2) After the first round of expulsions in 1999, Israel's High Court gave a temporary injunction to stop the State from expelling anyone else—but the residents were also not allowed to expand or develop their villages. Since then they've been temporary residents on their own land.
3) 'IDF training' is just an excuse.
Fmr PM Ariel Sharon said it himself: "Additional training areas must be closed in [between] the bottom of the Hebron Hills and the Judean Desert—in light of the phenomenon—the spread of Arab villagers on the mountainside toward the desert. >>>
Fmr PM Ariel Sharon said it himself: "Additional training areas must be closed in [between] the bottom of the Hebron Hills and the Judean Desert—in light of the phenomenon—the spread of Arab villagers on the mountainside toward the desert. >>>
"... We definitely have an interest in increasing these areas there, and can add many training areas for you there, and we have a significant interest in you being in that area.” The gov't committee protocol where this was said was exposed by @Akevot: bit.ly/31knC8S
4) The High Court is about to make its final ruling. The State is offering a 'compromise' whereby residents can live in their homes for only a few months a year, when the IDF isn't there.
Would you accept that? Neither will they. It's their homes, their land, their livelihoods.
Would you accept that? Neither will they. It's their homes, their land, their livelihoods.
Our message to the Israeli government:
The IDF doesn't lack for training areas.
Stop using the soldiers as an excuse to expel Palestinians from their land.
It's not on the soldiers. It's on you.
The IDF doesn't lack for training areas.
Stop using the soldiers as an excuse to expel Palestinians from their land.
It's not on the soldiers. It's on you.
.@YehudaShaul, BtS co-founder: "Israel controls all the resources in the area, and by declaring firing zones, prevents people from accessing their land and water. The area is full of violent settlers, and their violence is an essential factor in making this policy a reality."
Nidal Younes, South Hebron Hills council chairman: "Without support from the EU we wouldn't have schools or access to electricity & water. This area has a long history of suffering, especially since it was declared a Firing Zone: confiscations, demolitions, army training. >>>
>>> The residents live in fear of an Israeli Court ruling to evict them."
Here's what Abir, a local schoolgirl, told the delegation:
https://twitter.com/btselem/status/1318112264071806976
And this is Umm Awad, another local resident:
https://twitter.com/btselem/status/1318113103096221696
Some of you who have joined us on tours of the South Hebron Hills may remember Nasser:
https://twitter.com/btselem/status/1318122275636416534
Sven Kuhn von Burgsdorff, EU Head of Mission: "We're here to show solidarity with the local residents affected by demolitions, evictions and settler violence, to express our concern, and to say that we will continue to support their struggle for self determination. >>>
"... Without Area C there cannot be a viable Palestinian state. I'm grateful to our partners from Breaking the Silence & @btselem."
.@AGvaryahu: "We came to FZ918 today to make it clear that we won't be silent when the State makes 100s of people illegal aliens in their own homes.We won't be silent when soldiers are sent to evict people from where they've lived since before the 1st soldier set foot in the oPt.
"...We invite everyone to come with us, to meet the people who are at risk of eviction and look them in the eye - something which the decision-makers have never bothered to do. This is what eviction looks like. This is what occupation looks like."
This is a structure that was demolished yesterday in the village of Al-Fakheit, in Firing Zone 918. Residents of the Firing Zone are not permitted to construct any new buildings until the High Court gives its final ruling.
This is what one soldier told us about his experience in Firing Zone 918:
"This zone is marked on the map by a yellow line encircling it. I asked if residents live there. They told me no, that no one lives there since it’s a firing zone." bit.ly/3fFnHZb
"This zone is marked on the map by a yellow line encircling it. I asked if residents live there. They told me no, that no one lives there since it’s a firing zone." bit.ly/3fFnHZb
This soldier trained to drive an Armed Personnel Carrier in Firing Zone 918:
"There was wheat that overflowed beyond the fields, so the instruction that we got, that the platoon commander got, or at least that’s what he said to us, [was] to trample." bit.ly/2ICgDSi
"There was wheat that overflowed beyond the fields, so the instruction that we got, that the platoon commander got, or at least that’s what he said to us, [was] to trample." bit.ly/2ICgDSi
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