Thread by @BtSIsrael

Last October, Israelis were rightly horrified to hear that ~400 acres of forest burned down as a direct result of an IDF training exercise carried out in a nature reserve,despite warnings.
Now look at what happened when the IDF insisted on training in a Palestinian village today:

This is Jinba, a village in Firing Zone 918. Large-scale artillery forces arrived there this AM w/ armored vehicles. In response to @acri_online who reminded them of the damage caused last time, the IDF promised to avoid damaging residents' property. But somehow, this happened:

And this is what some of the agricultural lands looked like this morning, after the heavy armored vehicles flattened them. The residents depend on this land for their livelihood. Several months of hard work can be destroyed in a matter of minutes. (Video: Guy Botavia)

Destroying agricultural fields isn't new. Here's what a Nahal Brig soldier saw in 2004-05: "There was wheat that overflowed beyond the fields, so the instruction [...] that the platoon commander got, or at least what he said to us, [was] to trample." bit.ly/2ICgDSi

Here's another picture from this morning, this time from fields belonging to residents of the neighboring Bir al-Eid:

And at a time when healthcare is more important than ever, here's what was happening right outside Jinba's clinic this morning:

https://twitter.com/btselem/status/1356866336757063681

Why did the IDF insist on training inside these Palestinian villages? Excellent question. According to the Hebron Hills Regional Council (representing the settlers of the area), it's not about training, but rather 'enhancing [our] governance'.

https://twitter.com/BtSIsrael/status/1356629578584891392

The IDF hasn't trained in the area for 7 years. Perhaps training there suddenly became more urgent. Or perhaps it has something to do with the upcoming Supreme Court verdict that will determine if the Palestinians living in FZ918 are to be evicted.

https://twitter.com/btselem/status/1356857973621075969

As far back as 1981, then-Defense Minister Ariel Sharon said in a Knesset committee meeting that Israel had a clear interest in declaring the area a firing zone so that the Palestinian population wouldn't "spread":

https://twitter.com/BtSIsrael/status/1318104498179592192

Of course, this morning looked completely different for Jinba's residents than it did for their settler neighbors, some of whom were even given the opportunity to enter the artillery vehicles. They're not at risk of eviction any time soon. (Photo: Guy Botavia)

The exercise continues tomorrow, when more Palestinians will watch as their property is destroyed under the pretext of an exercise. The threat of eviction will still hover over them. And too few politicians will find the time to say a word.
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