IOF heliopter over southern HebronThe Occupation’s drive to forcibly remove Jordan Valley Bedouin from their land, using harassment, demolitions, and destrucition of water resources, is part of a wider plan being executed against the Bedouin throughout the West Bank and Naqab desert.

In recent months Bedouin communities in the South Hebron hills have become particularly vulnerable, with the Occupation’s declaration of a Closed Military Zone that will wipe out 8 communities in one go: Al-Mufaqara, Tuba, Majaz, Tabban, Sfaye, Fakhit, Halawa, Al Marqaz, Jinba, Kharuba, Megheir al-Abeid and Sarura.

Here we publish a Press Release by Operation Dove, who have maintained an international presence in At-Tuwani and South Hebron Hills since 2004.

ISRAELI ARMY RAIDS THE PALESTINIAN VILLAGE OF JINBA, IN SOUTHERN HEBRON HILLS

At-Tuwani, 8th August 2012

On August 7th, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. a group of 70 Israeli soldiers raided the Palestinian village of Jinba. The Israeli army reached the place with logistical support of two military helicopters and 6 military vehicles. The battalion entered in Jinba village and threatened the Palestinian inhabitants for one hour and a half ransacked their homes, that were found damaged.

According to testimonies collected on the field by Operation Dove volunteers: after entering by foot in the village area the Israeli soldiers assembled the whole community they checked the IDs, then they started the raid. At 11:30 a.m. after the soldiers left the village, the Palestinians inhabitants were allowed to enter their homes, and found the caves in a state of great confusion. During the raid, Israeli soldiers threatened the Palestinians inhabitants, urging them to leave their lands. The Israeli Defense Force often targeted the village of Jinba with continuous raids and military trainings.

The Palestinian village of Jinba is located 5 kilometers from the Green Line, in the proximity of a Israeli military base. Since the 70’s a large portion of the area around the village is used by the Israeli army for military trainings and it is called ‘Firing Area 918’. On January 20th, 2012, two children of 11 years old and 13 years old, were injured by unexploded ordnance, while they were grazing their flocks in Palestinian lands near Jinba. On 22th July 2012, during a hearing at the Israeli High Court, Israeli Defense ministry stated the willing to enlarge the ‘Firing area’ borders and to prohibit local inhabitants to live within. The result of this decision will be the evacuation of 8 Palestinian villages and the expulsion of almost 1000 people from their homes. The Israeli army had already demolished the houses in Jinba in 1954, and then again in the 1980s. In November 1999 all the villages in the area, including Jinba, were evacuated and the people were deported northward the bypass road n° 317.

Nevertheless, the Palestinian communities in the South Hebron Hills are strongly involved in affirming their rights and resist to the Israeli occupation choosing the nonviolent way.