The European Union Representative Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff attended on Wednesday the Israeli Supreme Court hearing on the Masafer Yatta in South Hebron Hills issue.
Israeli occupation intends to displace more than 1300 Palestinians from their homes in the village of Masafer Yatta, declaring part of the firing zone for Israeli military purposes.
Burgsdorff warned that this measure would be a breach of Israeli’s obligation as the occupying power.
“The residents, many of whom also exposed to settler violence, are at risk of forcible transfer,” said the EU Representative in a tweet.
1/2 Today, EUREP, Member States & like-minded countries attended the Supreme Court hearing on the permanent expulsion of more than 1300 Palestinians from their homes in Masafer-Yatta in South Hebron Hills, declared part of a firing zone for Israeli military purposes.
— EU and Palestinians (@EUpalestinians) March 15, 2022
“Beyond a devastating impact on children, women, and families, expulsion would be in breach of Israel’s obligations as the occupying power, a violation of international law and basic human rights.”
Burgsdorff met yesterday with the father of Mohammed El Halabi, the Gaza director of World Vision International who has been in Israeli prison for over five years without a verdict and whose detention was renewed for the 23rd time on 22 February.
“By keeping Halabi in detention and refraining from issuing a verdict, Israeli authorities continue to violate international law, denying him a swift, fair and impartial judicial process,” said the EU Representative in a tweet. “Unless proven guilty, Halabi should be released now.”
Masafer Yatta in the occupied West Bank, is a rural area in the region of the South Hebron Hills.
Situated in “Area C,” it is under full Israeli occupation forces control.
More than 20 small Palestinian villages are in this area, with ancient cave structures built into the rock alongside newer homes built in recent decades as the communities have grown.
On March 15, Israel’s Supreme Court will hold a decisive hearing that could determine the future of eight of those 20 Palestinian communities residing in Masafer Yatta.
Over 1,000 Palestinians living in what Israel calls “Firing Zone 918” face the threat of expulsion, in what would constitute one of the largest single displacements of Palestinians in decades.
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