HEBRON, March 30, 2025 (WAFA) – Israeli occupation forces Sunday detained three Palestinian shepherds in Masafer Yatta, south of the occupied West Bank city of Hebron, according to a media activist.
Osama Makhamra said that a group of colonists, under army protection, chased Palestinian shepherds in the al-Rahim area before the gun-toting soldiers rounded up three shepherds.
He added that colonists also chased shepherds close to At-Tawani village and several other hamlets, and tore down an agricultural shed in Shi‘b al-Butum.
Masafer Yatta is made up of 19 hamlets that rely heavily on animal husbandry as the main source of livelihood.
Located in Area C of the West Bank, under full Israeli administrative and military control, the area has been subjected to repeated Israeli violations by settlers and soldiers targeting their main source of living - livestock.
It has been designated as a closed Israeli military zone for training since the 1980s and is accordingly referred to as Firing Zone 918.
Israeli violations against the area include the demolition of animal barns, homes, and residential structures. Issuance of construction permits by Israel to local Palestinians in the area is non-existent.
K.F.
