Israel accelerates land seizures, settlement expansion in Hebron – The New Arab
IS suspect arrested in Iraq over New Orleans truck attack
Boko Haram jihadists kill at least 14 Nigerian farmers
Lebanon's Bassil renews calls for Syrian return before elections
Israel's army is facing a crisis of dissent over the Gaza war
How Harvard is fighting back against Trump's war on universities
Syria Insight: Sharaa's shrewd manoeuvre fells Daraa warlord
The Gaza medic massacre is an attack on all of humanity
Hassan Sheikh’s bizarre letter to Trump
Mufti Menk’s refusal to talk about Gaza makes him complicit
Pakistan and India border closure separates families
Asil Al Jallad: The gynaecologist who refuses to give up on Gaza
Samar Abu Elouf on her 2025 World Press Photo of the Year win
Breadcrumb
Israel is expanding settlement activity at an unprecedented rate in southern Hebron in the occupied West Bank, with land bulldozed almost daily to prepare for new outposts amid rising violence against Palestinian residents.
In recent days, Israeli forces have seized around 10,000 dunams of land stretching from al-Burj in the north to al-Ramadin in the south, eastwards towards al-Dhahiriya.
After 10 April, Israeli bulldozers began excavation work at night on the highest peaks of the region. Yousef Talhameh, head of al-Burj village council, told The New Arab’s Arabic sister outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that “settlers expelled anyone who tried to approach at gunpoint under the direct protection of Israeli soldiers”.
“Days later, armed settlers returned with caravans and tents and established a settlement outpost,” he added.
According to a report by Kerem Navot, an Israeli organisation monitoring settlement activity, settlers also established an additional outpost “within the area of influence of the Eshtemoa settlement”. The report warned that these moves “threaten the future of thousands of dunams of Palestinian agricultural land”, and noted that pastoral settlement outposts are “established with direct support from the army and government authorities who encourage and fund this aggressive form of settlement expansion”.
Talhameh rejected Israeli claims that the land had been sold, saying, “The facts and documents completely refute this allegation.”
Around “seven Palestinian families, representing about 20,000 citizens, are gathering ownership documents, including Ottoman-era title deeds, Palestinian legal papers, and even documents issued by the Israeli authorities themselves, all proving that the land is purely Palestinian”.
He stressed that “although proximity to the separation wall has deprived the land of building opportunities, the owners have never abandoned it; they have continued to cultivate and remain on it.”
Despite recent popular protest actions, Israeli forces “prevented dozens of citizens from reaching their land, assaulted some, and arrested others”.
Yet Talhameh affirmed that residents “insist on continuing activities to assert their presence and prevent confiscation from becoming a reality,” adding that “remaining on the land is the only option to confront this dangerous settlement plan”.
“What is currently happening south of Dura is a clear repetition of what is happening in Masafer Yatta,” Abdelhadi Hantash of the Committee for the Defence of West Bank Lands said.
He warned that settlement expansion aims to “isolate Palestinian lands between the Eshtemoa settlement, nearby outposts, and the Green Line,” noting that the “stone crusher at Haggai settlement plays a central role in providing material for building and linking outposts together”.
Hantash cautioned that agricultural outposts, even if only covering a few dunams, are often a prelude to seizing thousands of dunams.
“Once Palestinians are prevented from reaching their lands, settlers are provided with water, electricity, and paved roads, legitimising their presence and opening the door for future expansion,” he said.
He further argued that “what is happening is the practical implementation of annexation by imposing Israeli law on Palestinian land within the West Bank,” warning that Israeli authorities prevent Palestinians from approaching lands near the separation wall by up to a kilometre, effectively placing them under settler control.
“The settlement strategy is focused on southern Hebron,” Hantash said, “with a push to link agricultural outposts with industrial outposts along the Green Line, turning them into massive settlement blocs.”
He warned that even small developments, like a single caravan, often expand into full settlements once infrastructure is added, as seen with Eshtemoa. Since early 2023, six new outposts have been established south of Dura, marking a sharp escalation in settlement activity
“Israel often claims these lands are ‘state lands’, but many Palestinians legally own them, with Ottoman-era documents proving it, although Israeli courts rarely deliver justice,” Hantash explained.
source
This article was autogenerated from a news feed from CDO TIMES selected high quality news and research sources. There was no editorial review conducted beyond that by CDO TIMES staff. Need help with any of the topics in our articles? Schedule your free CDO TIMES Tech Navigator call today to stay ahead of the curve and gain insider advantages to propel your business!
Boko Haram jihadists kill at least 14 Nigerian farmers
Lebanon's Bassil renews calls for Syrian return before elections
Israel's army is facing a crisis of dissent over the Gaza war
How Harvard is fighting back against Trump's war on universities
Syria Insight: Sharaa's shrewd manoeuvre fells Daraa warlord
The Gaza medic massacre is an attack on all of humanity
Hassan Sheikh’s bizarre letter to Trump
Mufti Menk’s refusal to talk about Gaza makes him complicit
Pakistan and India border closure separates families
Asil Al Jallad: The gynaecologist who refuses to give up on Gaza
Samar Abu Elouf on her 2025 World Press Photo of the Year win
Breadcrumb
Israel is expanding settlement activity at an unprecedented rate in southern Hebron in the occupied West Bank, with land bulldozed almost daily to prepare for new outposts amid rising violence against Palestinian residents.
In recent days, Israeli forces have seized around 10,000 dunams of land stretching from al-Burj in the north to al-Ramadin in the south, eastwards towards al-Dhahiriya.
After 10 April, Israeli bulldozers began excavation work at night on the highest peaks of the region. Yousef Talhameh, head of al-Burj village council, told The New Arab’s Arabic sister outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that “settlers expelled anyone who tried to approach at gunpoint under the direct protection of Israeli soldiers”.
“Days later, armed settlers returned with caravans and tents and established a settlement outpost,” he added.
According to a report by Kerem Navot, an Israeli organisation monitoring settlement activity, settlers also established an additional outpost “within the area of influence of the Eshtemoa settlement”. The report warned that these moves “threaten the future of thousands of dunams of Palestinian agricultural land”, and noted that pastoral settlement outposts are “established with direct support from the army and government authorities who encourage and fund this aggressive form of settlement expansion”.
Talhameh rejected Israeli claims that the land had been sold, saying, “The facts and documents completely refute this allegation.”
Around “seven Palestinian families, representing about 20,000 citizens, are gathering ownership documents, including Ottoman-era title deeds, Palestinian legal papers, and even documents issued by the Israeli authorities themselves, all proving that the land is purely Palestinian”.
He stressed that “although proximity to the separation wall has deprived the land of building opportunities, the owners have never abandoned it; they have continued to cultivate and remain on it.”
Despite recent popular protest actions, Israeli forces “prevented dozens of citizens from reaching their land, assaulted some, and arrested others”.
Yet Talhameh affirmed that residents “insist on continuing activities to assert their presence and prevent confiscation from becoming a reality,” adding that “remaining on the land is the only option to confront this dangerous settlement plan”.
“What is currently happening south of Dura is a clear repetition of what is happening in Masafer Yatta,” Abdelhadi Hantash of the Committee for the Defence of West Bank Lands said.
He warned that settlement expansion aims to “isolate Palestinian lands between the Eshtemoa settlement, nearby outposts, and the Green Line,” noting that the “stone crusher at Haggai settlement plays a central role in providing material for building and linking outposts together”.
Hantash cautioned that agricultural outposts, even if only covering a few dunams, are often a prelude to seizing thousands of dunams.
“Once Palestinians are prevented from reaching their lands, settlers are provided with water, electricity, and paved roads, legitimising their presence and opening the door for future expansion,” he said.
He further argued that “what is happening is the practical implementation of annexation by imposing Israeli law on Palestinian land within the West Bank,” warning that Israeli authorities prevent Palestinians from approaching lands near the separation wall by up to a kilometre, effectively placing them under settler control.
“The settlement strategy is focused on southern Hebron,” Hantash said, “with a push to link agricultural outposts with industrial outposts along the Green Line, turning them into massive settlement blocs.”
He warned that even small developments, like a single caravan, often expand into full settlements once infrastructure is added, as seen with Eshtemoa. Since early 2023, six new outposts have been established south of Dura, marking a sharp escalation in settlement activity
“Israel often claims these lands are ‘state lands’, but many Palestinians legally own them, with Ottoman-era documents proving it, although Israeli courts rarely deliver justice,” Hantash explained.
source
This article was autogenerated from a news feed from CDO TIMES selected high quality news and research sources. There was no editorial review conducted beyond that by CDO TIMES staff. Need help with any of the topics in our articles? Schedule your free CDO TIMES Tech Navigator call today to stay ahead of the curve and gain insider advantages to propel your business!
