Rural Womens Association of South Hebron Hills

Rural Women's Association of South Hebron Hills

As you view the unfolding genocide in Gaza, I am sure you are also watching the dramatically increasing violence settlers and Occupation Forces are waging against Palestinians in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. This violence is nothing new, but the rise and ferocity of attacks since October 7 has been chilling. Particularly hard hit have been the herding/Bedouin communities of Area C. Since October 7, an estimated 143 households (1,026 people, including 396 children) have been forcibly evicted from their homes.

Zanuta in the South Hebron Hills (Masafer Yatta) is one such village. Once, as many as 250 people lived here, but on October 30, the few remaining residents packed the last of their possessions and fled. One reason families leave their homes is attacks by violent settlers accompanied by security forces who observe or participate in the violence. Other reasons include property confiscation, home demolitions, limited access to water, markets, medical care, and education. Military training exercises in and around Masafer Yatta have added to families leaving their homes. As we enter the fourth month of the war, we also begin the fourth month of lockdown in the villages and towns of the West Bank, which has meant no income for many families.

The South Hebron Hills Women's Association is focused on assisting families who hope to remain safely in their homes. Emergency donations are needed to accomplish this. As many homes in Masafer Yatta are not connected to water pipes or the electrical grid, daily life is challenging. Families need wood stoves, medication, assistance for new mothers and babies, and essential supplies, such as flour, cooking oil, and vegetables. Further complicating the situation, due to frightening settler violence, shepherds are afraid to take flocks out to graze in pastures; this has forced families into purchasing life-sustaining food.

Each forced eviction in Masafer Yatta brings an end to a way of life. The importance of the South Hebron Hills Women’s Association in its efforts to support these families as they struggle with the rapidly increasing brutality of the occupation cannot be overstated. The South Hebron Hills Rural Women's Association is a group uniquely qualified to know the Masafer Yatta communities' needs and offer much-needed support. No donation is too small.