By: Hajar Shezav /Haaretz (adapted)

Life in the area changed drastically about a half-year after the resolution to evict the residents of Masafer Yatta was approved. In the small eight villages which are distributed around the area, (which was announced as a training area), life there was always so tough, as was the absence of any infrastructure.

Not only this, but in recent months, a new serious obstacle has been set, which is manifested in the constant presence of the Israeli army in the area, in addition to training with live bullets. Moreover, some military roadblocks were used to hinder the movement of residents and school students and teachers to reach out to their schools. Also, they are usually stopped by the Israeli occupation forces and are forced to go back where they came from, which really affects the educational process. Cars as well as cars are being impounded, and roads are being closed to oncoming non-registered residents in the villages of the area, which forced the residents to transfer in two ways: on a donkey or on foot. They can't even bring their basic needs from Masafer Yatta except every 10 days due to all these obstacles. In Masafer Yatta, there are no paved roads, as some of them were destroyed by the occupation army in a way that doesn't allow walking on them except by Jeep. Hence, people are being forced to walk away from dangerous roads, such as mountain roads.

Now, there's a discussion among the Israeli circles to expel the residents because the area has been declared a training area for the army, while the villagers are awaiting the decision of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Israel, Esther Hayut, in the petition calling for an appeal against their expulsion. It must be recalled that according to international law, forcible transfer of a protected population is prohibited, there is no forced deportation, in addition to that forcible transfer is a crime.