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by IMEMC & Agencies

Israeli soldiers invaded, Saturday, the Wad Ben Zeid valley area, northeast of Yatta town and south of the southern West Bank city of Hebron, handing a number of residents military orders informing them of an illegal grab of 2000 Dunams (494.2 Acres) of agricultural lands.

Rateb Jabour, coordinator of the Popular Committee against the Wall and Settlements, in southern Hebron, stated the military order was actually issued in 1997, but that the residents were never informed of the decision and, therefore, did not have the chance to challenge it in court.

Jabour added that the 2000 Dunams include olive orchards and several homes used by the families in their own lands.

The order also states that the homes must be evicted, and likely demolished.

The lands are owned by the families of Na’amin, Jabarin, al-‘Adra, al-Hamamda, Mohammad and Abu ‘Arram.

Jabour denounced the illegitimate decision, and said it falls under Israel’s ongoing, illegal settlement construction and expansion activities, mainly targeting villages and towns south of Hebron.

“They want to force the families out of their homes and lands," he said. “Those lands are owned by the families, but Israel continues to violate International Law, and continues its theft of Palestinian lands...."
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HEBRON (Ma'an) -- Israeli authorities have refused to allow locals near the village of Yatta to build on lands they own, citing a previous order for "military purposes" despite the fact that the area is still open, a local activist told Ma'an.

Coordinator of the popular and national local committees in the region Rateb al-Jubur told Ma'an that locals had asked to build on privately owned land near the village but on Saturday authorities confirmed the previous confiscation and refused to allow them to do so.

Al-Jubur said that Israeli authorities issued the original confiscation orders in 1997 and accused authorities of attempting to "displace residents."

According to al-Jubur, the lands -- which cover around 500 acres (2,000 dunums) -- are located in the Wadi Ibn Zaid area, close to the village of al-Deirat east of Yatta and to the west of the Israeli settlement of Karmel.

He said the lands are privately owned by the al-Hamamdeh, Abu Aram, al-Naamin, al-Jabbarin, and Muhammad families.

He said the owners of the lands have started to take legal actions to cancel the confiscation order.

According to al-Jubur, locals were planning to plant the lands with olive trees and winter crops ahead of the coming season.

An Israeli military spokesperson could not be reached for comment.

The South Hebron Hills, known locally as Masafer Yatta, lie almost entirely in Area C, the 62 percent of the West Bank under full Israeli civil and security control since the 1993 Oslo Accords.

Around 3,000 Israeli settlers live in illegal Jewish-only settlements in the Yatta region, according to the Applied Research Institute Jerusalem.

The safety of these settlers is often given as an excuse for forced displacement of Palestinians who are native to the area.