A solidarity report from Masafer Yatta, in the south Hebron hills

~ Aidan Frere-Smith ~

On 1 January 2021, Haroun Abo Aram was shot outside of his family home in the village of Al-Rakeez in Masafer Yatta, in the south Hebron hills of the West Bank. He was contesting a group of soldiers from the Israeli military who were facilitating the demolition of a Palestinian home and confiscating an electric generator used by local residents to power basic necessities. Refusing to surrender this vital power source, one soldier shot him in the neck at point blank range. As family and local residents tended to him, the military committed to their efforts and left the scene with the generator. Haroun was left quadriplegic and, following complications to his injuries, died in 2023.

This is one example of the many acts of violence and harassment that have been inflicted on the Palestinian residents in order to expel them from their lands. Declared a military training area in stages in 1980 and 1982, known as Firing Zone 918, Masafer Yatta has become a frontline of encroachment by Israel through settlement expansion since the occupation of the West Bank following the six-day-war in 1967. A ‘master plan’ published in 1979, as well as a classified document from a World Zionist Organisation’s Settlement Division meeting held in the same year, are testament to the intention of annexation from the outset.

Despite the severe challenges they face, Palestinians in the region remain are holding on steadfastly to their land, predominantly as farmers and shepherds. Subsequently, residence acts as a form of resistance. Additionally, opposition to the efforts of the military and settlers takes on another form; non-violent activism and advocacy.

Taking action

Sami Huraini, pictured above outside his family home in At-Tuwani, is one such dedicated resident. He is a board member of the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee, which opposes the extension of illegal Israeli settlement through peaceful demonstrations, and is also part of Youth of Sumud; a grassroots initiative of non-violent resistance to Israeli state violence, made up of activists across the south Hebron hills.

“I grew up in a resistance family”, he proudly declares. Indeed, his grandmother Fatima and father Hafez, have a rich history of resisting occupational efforts in their village of At-Tuwani and with the wider community of Masafer Yatta. Specifically, Sami’s father was a founder and leader of a popular resistance movement which involved protests and a legal challenge to the systematic expulsion of 700 residents, spread across 12 villages, and destruction of their homes in 1999. Though this gave the opportunity for the residents to return to their lands until a final court decision was made, the petition was rejected 22 years later and permission was given to re-evict 8 of the 12 villages, with some homes destroyed within days. Since then, the demolition of Palestinian homes has been carried in stages and is unpredictable. Sami affirms the uncertainty of the residents; “it can happen at any time”. And thus, the work to defend their lands and their lives has great urgency.

Like many others, Sami grew up learning the reality of living under occupation; “I was scared of the settlers and army at a very young age”. He continued to explain that one affirming experience he had was at the age of 15, when he was arrested whilst grazing his family’s sheep on their property and was held for three days.

According to Defence for Children International, approximately 13,000 Palestinian children have been detained, interrogated, prosecuted, and imprisoned by Israeli military authorities since 2010, and subsequently suffered violence and trauma, as seen in a 2020 report by Save the Children.

Experiences such as these led Sami to becoming an active participant in anti-occupation protests at the age of 17, locally and elsewhere in the West Bank, and eventually began organising himself; including in response to the shooting of Haroun. The events that followed, however, have changed his life indefinitely and is testament to the bureaucratic oppression of Palestinians in the West Bank and beyond.

Reacting to the shooting of Haroun, Sami organised a demonstration in the village of Al-Rakeez, with over 200 participating including Israeli and international solidarity activists. The demands were simple: “We wanted accountability for the actions of the soldier”. Despite it being passionate and emotive, the mobilisation was a peaceful event, though it was met with tear gas. Then, in the early hours of the following morning, the military they raided Sami’s family home and arrested him. “It was very scary for me and the family”, he admits, “especially the young ones” who witnessed him being blindfolded and taken away in a military vehicle. First, he was taken to a military base, then a police station for interrogation and then held in a detention centre for eight days whilst the Israeli authorities processed him. He was denied the presence of his lawyer or any form of legal representation throughout his interrogation following his arrest. He was accused of organising illegal demonstrations, assaulting a soldier and being present in a closed military zone. Upon release, he was fined NIS 10,000 (over £2,000), and ordered to attend the police station in Hebron, part of the illegal Israeli settlement of Kiryat Arba, where he was held in a police cell from the morning until the evening. And was obliged to do so until his first court hearing, three months following his initial arrest.

For Sami, this was a tactical punishment, a means of cracking down on anti-occupation demonstrations that often took place after Friday prayer. “I’m not allowed to participate in anything”, he says. In addition to risking imprisonment for attending any demonstrations, gatherings of any type also come with great risk. When he documented the demolition of a Palestinian home for media purposes, the military threatened him with arrest, arguing he was protesting. “Everything has become a threat”, he says, “whatever I do, wherever I go.”

Although he is limited to documenting the situation in Masafer Yatta, Sami is adamant that this is one of the most important methods that can be used against the occupation. He believes that without this evidence, the actions of the Israeli military and settlers will go unseen—and with them the plight of the Palestinian residents. “Occupation is full of lies. Almost everything is built on lies”, he explains. For him, evidence gathered by himself, other residents as well as international solidarity activists, also proves their innocence against false military and settler claims of violence. And with this, the presence of digital cameras and mobile phones can occasionally act as a deterrent to their efforts.

Indeed, in April it was announced that Israeli far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir had established a new police task force for the specific intention of ‘targeting left-wing activists’ in the West Bank—referring to Israeli and international solidarity activists such as those in Masafer Yatta. Since then, the situation has escalated which has seen activists routinely detained and held as a form of intimidation, while internationals have been arrested and deported, including two from the UK and France, two from Germany as well as a 78-year-old from the US. This tactic, which has been used for years, is not being escalated.

Solidarity activists also risk being victims of violencel. On 6 September 2024, human rights activist Ayşenur Eygi was shot and killed by the Israeli military during a demonstration in the West Bank village of Beita. Testimony from an activist with her at the time confirms she was shot in the head after taking refuge in a nearby olive groove.

Documenting the situation in Masafer Yatta, and indeed elsewhere in the West Bank, is as important as ever, since settler violence and harassment has escalated greatly. Days after the 7 October 2024 Hamas massacres, a settler from the Havat Ma’on settlement in Masafer Yatta, which is approximately 100 metres from his family home, shot Sami’s unarmed cousin outside of the Mosque in At-Tuwani at point blank range in full view of the Israeli military. Not long after, settlers shot live ammunition at his family, as well as international solidarity activists, while they attempted to document their destruction of Palestinian olive trees. It is unsurprising that settlers have felt more emboldened, as many have been armed and recruited to ‘defend settlements’ in the West Bank since the outbreak of the Israeli-Hamas war.

Affirming the severity of the escalation, Sami concludes; “their desire to kill has never been higher”.

More examples of violence and harassment from settlers and Israeli soldiers can be seen on social media platforms, such as that of local activists Youth of Sumud and solidarity groups including the International Solidarity Movement. These show the demolition of Palestinian homes and infrastructure, beatings and other physical attacks, the destruction and burning of crops, stealing and killing livestock as well as other methods of intimidation. 

Systemic oppression

Since his initial arrest, Sami was given some relief. after a charge of being present in a closed military area was dropped, although he remained accused of being an organiser of ‘unauthorised’ demonstrations, as the Israeli occupation authorities repress any form of political association.

The Defense (Emergency) Regulations of 1945, originally enacted by the British Mandate authorities, have are used by the Israeli state to declare any group they see fit as an ‘unlawful association’ and criminalise membership and possession of affiliated materials. Additionally, the Military Order 101 of 1967 outlaws the participation of gatherings of more than ten people  ‘that could be construed as political’, including the display of ‘flags or political symbols’, and could result in ten years in prison.

An additional 20 orders were passed but were eventually amalgamated in 2009 into a singular piece of legislation; Military Order 1651. The order criminalises anyone who ‘attempts, orally or otherwise, to influence public opinion’ or ‘publishes words of praise, sympathy or support for a hostile organisation’. Going further, vaguely worded ‘offences against authorities’ that causes  disturbance to the ‘security of the Area or the security of the Israeli Defence Forces’ is punishable by life in imprisonment. Entering an area in ‘close proximity’ to property belonging to the army or state, as is the military zone of Mssafer Yatta, could also result in prison time.

Making matters worse, legal proceedings against Palestinians are held in military courts, rather than civil courts that are used for Israelis and even settlers, despite continuing to be considered illegal under international law. Sami’s proceedings were no different, and were held at Ofer military court. During his initial hearing, he explains, “the judge, the prosecutor, the legislator, they are all wearing military uniforms”. For Sami, this system is inherently biassed and sees the military court as a self-serving mechanism; “the people who are charging you are the army and it is them they believe”.

Likewise, the burden of proof is also non-existent. Despite abundant evidence that counteracts the claims of assaulting a soldier, Sami states that the judge of the military court “condemned” him due to the accusing soldiers “honest testimony”, and would be sentenced at a later date.

Sami understands this is a reflection of a whole system that oppresses all Palestinians. Simply put, “when you have two different laws for two different people in the same place and same area and same land, this is apartheid”. For him, it is clear that this is not merely a separation, but a means of making Palestinians vulnerable and susceptible to the erasure of their nationality and identity, and to be removed from their homelands. Additionally, any opposition is met with additional oppression.

Indeed, his treatment is not unique. And is not the only member of his family to continue the work as human rights defenders and activists in MY. His brother Hamoudi Huraini carries out similar work, including educational videos and other coverage on social media. Likewise, their young cousin is also taking up a similar role. Similar to Sami, they too have been subject to arbitrary arrest, harassment and violence.

“This is life under occupation”, Sami concludes. Even without the violence and harassment from settlers and the military, he expands, daily life comes with an array of challenges and limitations. The construction of Israel’s separation barrier has had a detrimental effect on the quality of life and economy of Palestinians in the West Bank and has been exacerbated since 7th October 2024, as detailed in a United Nations report.

Access to water is also scarce; according to a 2023 report by Israeli human rights group B’TSelem, only 36% of Palestinians in the West Bank have daily access to water, while all Israeli nationals do and also consume three times as much.

Telecommunication infrastructure has also been in control of Israel since 1995 which, according to a 2018 report by 7amleh, has ‘not only hindered its development but has also allowed Israel to conduct mass surveillance of Palestinians and restrict their access to digital rights, specifically rights to internet security, privacy and freedom of opinion and expression’. Palestinians are limited to 3G connectivity, whilst Israelis living within the West Bank use 4G, with upgrades to 5G underway.

An abundance of military checkpoints and forbidden roads have also been enforced by the Israeli authorities, limiting the movement of Palestinians in day-to-day lives. This has intensified since the start of the current war and has included the blockade and destruction of the main Palestinian route from Masafer Yatta to the nearby city of Yatta, a tactic which Sami sees as a blatant attempt to isolate the rural communities.

Uncertain future

After much waiting, Sami was given the date of his court sentencing, which he attended on 26 September 2024. The build up was an emotional burden and anxiety-inducing, but upon attending the military court was surprised to find that the hearing had been postponed—with no date given at the time.

Although his family, friends and international supporters were relieved for him to return home, his future remained uncertain, with the threat of imprisonment still very much real. Only a few days later, he was once again arrested at his family home. According to his own testimony published online, during his four hour detention, he remained handcuffed and blindfolded whilst dogs barked in front of him and soldiers shouted in his face. Though Sami admits this to be traumatic and humiliating, it is not the first time he experienced this level of intimidation.

On 25 November 2024, days after his family were attacked by settlers as well as raided and arrested by Israel, Sami returned to Ofer Military Court where the Israeli authorities reached their verdict. He was convicted of allegedly assaulting a soldier and for organising an illegal demonstration and was sentenced to a month in prison, suspended for one year.

Nevertheless, Sami has no choice but to continue his work as a human rights defender, as he believes the situation will only get worse if the people of Masafer Yatta, the West Bank and the Palestinian diaspora do not maintain resilience.

“I will continue in the way that I can”, he says, “to be helpful and supportive for my community, my people and against injustice in the best way possible.”