JERUSALEM, March 2, 2917 (WAFA) - A group of European Union (EU) diplomats based in Jerusalem and Ramallah visited on Thursday Palestinian communities facing threats of demolition and eviction in Israeli “firing zone” areas in Masafer Yatta in the South Hebron Hills.

The objective of the visit was to witness first-hand the situation Palestinian communities in the area are facing, and to be informed of recent developments, said a statement by the EU Representative Office in Jerusalem.

For over a decade, the residents of Palestinian villages in the area of Masafer Yatta in the south Hebron hills have lived under the threat of demolition and evacuation, said the statement.

Masafer Yatta is surrounded by a belt of eight Israeli settlements and is in the Israeli-declared closed military area – “Firing zone 918.”

The EU diplomats visited public structures, including a health clinic and a school facing the risk of demolition in Khirbet al Fakheit and Jinba, and met with the Masafer Yatta village council and community leaders.

M.K.