Escalation in the South Hebron Hills: Ali Awad

Masafer Yatta is in Area C of the West Bank, where Israel has total civil and military control. For decades, the Israeli military has claimed much of the area as a “firing zone.” They were prevented from forcibly evacuating the villages by an ongoing legal case. But last spring, Israel’s High Court of Justice issued its final ruling — in favor of the military and against the Palestinians.

Since then, the people of Masafer Yatta have been waiting for the other shoe to drop. And two weeks ago, the army informed Palestinian officials that they would soon begin carrying out the forced transfer of more than a thousand people — a war crime, according to international law, now authorized by Israeli courts.

We featured Ali Awad on Unsettled just before and after last year’s court decision. You can still go back to listen to those episodes; they’re called “The Campaign to Save Masafer Yatta” and “Playgrounds for the Military.” We asked Ali to explain what’s happening now.

This week, Unsettled will be bringing you voices from the ground in Masafer Yatta and the South Hebron Hills. Stay tuned for more – and while you wait, make sure to listen to our previous two episodes featuring Ali to learn more about the history and conditions in Masafer Yatta. You can follow Ali directly on Instagram at ali_awad98.