More than 200 Palestinians lived in Khirbet Qassa, west of Hebron. The village was an enclave in the area between the Green Line and the Separation Barrier, whose construction was recently completed.
Israel closed the Separation Barrier opening the children crossed to get to school in Bir Nebala. Their families have lived in East Jerusalem for decades, yet Israel does not recognize them as residents of the city or let the children study in East Jerusalem schools.
Demolition without borders: Israel demolishes mobile clinic serving 450, as well as agricultural structures in South Hebron Hills and agricultural pool in northern Jordan Valley
On Monday, 12 July 2021, at around 8:00 A.M., Civil Administration personnel came with a military escort and three bulldozers to the town of Bani Na’im in Hebron District. The forces demolished about 200 square meters of agricultural terraces, a fence put up at the village entrance and a shed used for storing agricultural equipment. From there, the forces continued south to the communities of Khirbet Um Qusa and ‘Abdiyeh in the Um Daraj area. They confiscated a prefab set up by residents, which served as a clinic run by Doctors Without Borders, serving over 400 residents.
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Ruins of the agricultural pool in Bardalah Marah. Photo by 'Aref Daraghmeh, B'Tselem, 13 July 2021
At the same time, at around 8:00 A.M., Civil Administration personnel came with a military escort and a bulldozer to the agricultural area of Bardalah Marah, which extends about a kilometer from the Bardalah village center, and demolished an agricultural pool. The pool was built in cooperation between the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture, and was used to irrigate the crops of several area farmers.
These are not exceptional cases. Rather, they are part of Israel’s routine harassment of Palestinian communities in the South Hebron Hills and northern Jordan Valley, in a bid to expel them from their homes and area of residence.