‘They took our toilet’: How a settlement has squeezed a Palestinian village

What Happened

Residents of the Palestinian village of Umm al-Khair in the southern West Bank report that a new illegal settlement outpost, established in September 2023 as an extension of the Carmel settlement, has restricted their access to private land, livestock enclosures, and basic sanitation facilities. According to resident Ikhlas al-Hathaleen, settlers placed obstacles including barbed wire and playground equipment near the family's outdoor bathroom in early July, while the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) declared the surrounding area a closed military zone. Khalil al-Hathaleen, head of the village council, stated that the village's livestock population has declined from 3,000 to 700 due to restricted grazing access, and that 14 demolition orders have been issued against local structures. An Israeli court order issued in October 2023 to evacuate the outpost was reportedly cancelled after the IDF failed to implement it.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The situation in Umm al-Khair reflects a broader trend of settlement expansion and restricted Palestinian movement in the West Bank, which has intensified since October 2023. The inability of local residents to access essential resources or enforce court-ordered evacuations highlights the increasing influence of settler movements on land use and the physical displacement of Palestinian communities in Masafer Yatta.

Watch For

Monitor for further implementation of demolition orders against the 14 identified structures in Umm al-Khair and any additional reports of settler-led infrastructure development, such as new roads or fencing, that further isolate the village from its remaining agricultural land.