This morning (Wednesday), Israeli Civil Administration personnel, accompanied by military and police forces with heavy machinery, arrived at the Palestinian community of Khirbet Jenbah in the South Hebron Hills, home to about 300 people, and demolished dozens of structures. In total, forces demolished 24 residential structures, 16 agricultural structures, 16 solar panels and 14 water tanks, and arrested one resident. About 180 people, including some 85 children, were left homeless.
Today’s demolition in Khirbet Jenbah is Israel’s third broad demolition in Palestinian communities in Masafer Yatta in three weeks. On 2 September, Israeli forces demolished almost all of Khirbet a-Taban, leaving 12 families, about 70 people, including 28 children, homeless. On 8 September, Israel demolished all five homes in the northern compound of Khirbet al-Fakhit, belonging to four families numbering 32 people, including 11 children. Forces also demolished sheep pens, water cisterns and tanks, solar installations and agricultural structures. That same day, they demolished a home in Khirbet Khallet a-Dabe’, leaving another family homeless.
Khirbet Jenbah, Khirbet a-Taban and Khirbet al-Fakhit are three of 12 Palestinian communities, home to about 1,200 people, in an area of the southern West Bank Israel declared “Firing Zone 918.” The firing-zone designation, together with a planning system that prevents almost all Palestinian construction, serves Israel to advance demolitions and expel these communities from their land. Meanwhile, there are 10 outposts within the designated firing zone.
The demolitions in Masafer Yatta are part of the Elimination Project Israel is carrying out across the West Bank. Since October 2023, Israel has expelled 65 Palestinian communities from their land and partially displaced another 18. The demolitions and expulsions are part of a mechanism of ethnic cleansing and territorial takeover used to dismantle the conditions enabling Palestinians to continue living on their land, while clearing the way for expanding Jewish-Israeli presence and control.