Imminent Massacre Threatens Palestinian Peasants in East Hebron
Urgent Action Needed
Imminent Massacre Threatens Palestinian Peasants in East
Hebron
Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC)
Warns of an Imminent
Massacre Against Peasants of Masafer Yatta by Settlers
30
October 2023
Late
night on October 28th,
armed settler groups launched violent attacks on several Palestinian
agricultural communities in the eastern area of the Al Khalil (Hebron)
governorate. Nidal Younis, the head of the Masafer Yatta council, reports that
these settler gangs raided homes in areas including Susiya, Khirbet Wadi
Jehesh, and Khirbet Tuba, where 55 families totaling 550 inpiduals reside.
The settlers violently assaulted the residents, issuing a chilling 24-hour
ultimatum for them to vacate their homes and lands; failure to do so would
result in their murder and subsequent arson of their homes.
The
aggressors traumatized children, vandalized properties, and stole livestock – a
critical source of livelihood for these communities. Nasr Nawaj’ah, a resident
of Susiya, narrates the night’s horror and emphasizes the heightened threat to
their lives. There is a clear fear for the very existence of these communities.
These
targeted areas represent a fraction of the larger Palestinian communities in
the region, comprising nearly 12,000
Palestinians spread across more than 30
communities, all of which are surrounded by hostile settler settlements. These
Palestinians have consistently endured systematic and brutal attacks, such as
the direct shooting of a farmer by a settler in the nearby village of Tuwani
two weeks ago.
We implore international and
human rights organizations to act urgently to protect these Palestinian peasant
communities. There is an imminent threat of a massacre at the hands of settler
gangs, who often function under the protection of the Israeli military and
police. The immediate provision of international protection for these areas is
essential to prevent a total catastrophe.
It is
critical to note that all these communities are in “Area C” of the
West Bank. Since October 7th, amidst Israel’s devastating offensive on Gaza,
settler gangs have been exploiting the world’s preoccupation with the Israeli
genocide in Gaza, intensifying their ethnic cleansing campaigns in “Area
C.” More than 30 communities, housing over 500 families, have already been
displaced.
We
urgently call upon the international community and human rights organizations
to mobilize and intervene, preventing further settler aggression, forced
displacement, and potential massacres.
Stand
with us. Protect Palestinian lives and rights.