Israeli settlers establish new illegal outpost in Hebron’s Umm al-Khair

Khalil Hathaleen, head of the Umm al-Khair village council, said on Wednesday that Israeli settlers began establishing a new illegal settlement outpost in the heart of the southern West Bank village under the protection of occupation forces. Hathaleen stated that construction accelerated since midnight with the installation of caravans, fencing, and road paving, noting that the new structure cuts the community into two sections and blocks access routes used by students and residents.

Village Divided

Hathaleen explained that Umm al-Khair has been subjected to a fierce and ongoing campaign by settlers, adding that the latest project aims to tighten pressure on residents and displace them from their land. "The goal is to expel the people, but we are staying here," he said, according to Anadolu. Activist Ahmad Hathaleen told the agency that settlers began placing caravans in the middle of the Palestinian community overnight, seizing dozens of dunams despite a court ruling issued months earlier declaring such construction unlawful.

Pattern of Displacement

Ahmad Hathaleen noted that the outpost specifically divides Umm al-Khair into northern and southern sections to impose further pressure on Palestinians in preparation for their displacement. He said residents face near-daily attacks including demolitions, warning notices, and the cutting of water and electricity supplies. Areas across Masafer Yatta have seen a sharp escalation in settler attacks and the establishment of illegal outposts amid Palestinian warnings of efforts to displace Bedouin and farming communities.

Broader Context

The attacks come amid escalating violence throughout the West Bank, where the Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission documented approximately 1,637 settler attacks during April alone. The surge has coincided with a continued Israeli military escalation in the occupied territory since the Gaza war began, including killings, arrests, and raids on cities and towns involving home searches and property destruction.