Khallet al-Daba, occupied West Bank – On a Monday morning in May, the quiet of Khallet al-Daba was disrupted by the arrival of bulldozers and other demolition vehicles accompanied by Israeli soldiers. The forces entered the village, displacing families from their homes and driving livestock into open areas.
By the end of May 5, the small community in Masafer Yatta had been reduced to rubble. This event marked one of at least four mass demolitions carried out by Israeli forces this year. For residents, these repeated demolitions have been described as a “new Nakba,” evoking memories of the displacement and ethnic cleansing experienced by Palestinians in 1948.
Local accounts describe dozens of military vehicles, armored carriers, and jeeps surrounding the village during the demolitions. Women with infants, men still dazed from sudden displacement, and children crying in fear stood under the sun for six hours. Behind them, their homes were reduced to rubble.
Since the demolitions, families have struggled to adapt to life without stable shelter. Some have taken refuge in underground caves, while others live in fragile tents that offer little protection from extreme weather conditions.
Mohammed Rabia, head of the nearby at-Tuwani village council and responsible for Bedouin issues in Masafer Yatta, highlighted the destruction of essential services such as water, electricity, solar energy, wells, sewage tanks, and street lighting. He described the situation as returning to the “Stone Age” with no access to basic necessities, yet emphasized that no one has left the village.
Khallet al-Daba is located at the center of Masafer Yatta, a group of 12 Palestinian villages situated on rolling hills south of Hebron in the southern West Bank. According to the United Nations, approximately 1,150 people live in Masafer Yatta, though local estimates suggest the population may be around 4,500. Most residents engage in herding sheep and farming wheat and barley, which are vital sources of income in the region.
However, about 20% of the land in the West Bank has been declared a military training zone, including part of Masafer Yatta, known as ‘Firing Zone 918.’ Israel has sought to remove Palestinians from this area since the 1980s. The Israeli military justified the May 5 demolition as necessary due to the village’s location within the military training zone.
The tactic of designating areas as military zones was revealed by an Israeli-Palestinian research group, Akevot, as a strategy proposed in 1981 by then-Agriculture Minister Ariel Sharon, who later became prime minister. Under this policy, homes are repeatedly demolished based on varying justifications, such as unauthorized construction or proximity to military areas, with the ultimate goal of displacement.
A recent press release from Frederieke van Dongen, humanitarian affairs manager for Doctors Without Borders (MSF), described Israel’s actions in Masafer Yatta as part of a broader policy of ethnic cleansing aimed at forcibly relocating Palestinians from the area.
Among those affected was 65-year-old Samiha Muhammad al-Dababseh, a mother of eight who has lived in the village her entire life. She recalled the traumatic moment when soldiers forced her family from their home without allowing them to take anything. “They pushed me violently and told me, ‘This is not your land. You will not have a home or shelter left.'”
Samiha’s family had already endured three previous demolitions. After their home was destroyed in May, they returned to a cave she had dug with her late husband. However, on September 17, even the cave was destroyed in another attack, which also targeted tents, water tanks, and mobile bathrooms.
Despite the hardships, Samiha remains determined. “If one tree remains in Khallet al-Daba, I will stay in its shade,” she said. “The land is my soul. If I leave, I will die.”
Her son, Mujahid al-Dababseh, now lives with his wife and three children, along with 11 other relatives, in a cave. He described the living conditions as difficult, with no electricity, food, or safety. The children suffer from nightmares of bulldozers and attacks, and he fears snakes, insects, and thirst due to the lack of water.
Mujahid reflected on the loss of his family home, calling it “a piece of my life.” He compared the destruction to a second Gaza, where everything above ground was wiped out, leaving only rubble. Yet he remains resolute: “No Palestinian child will ever emigrate from here.”
The village, now home to just 120 people, includes many children from the extended Dababseh clan. Once known for the hyenas that roamed the valleys, the area is now marked by the presence of settlers and soldiers. For many, the demolitions represent more than the loss of homes; they symbolize the erasure of life itself—water wells, solar panels, and street lighting.
Despite the devastation, the people of Khallet al-Daba continue to rebuild and remain steadfast. Their resilience is a testament to a struggle that has endured for over seven decades.
“This is an ongoing Nakba,” said Rabia. “But the people have chosen to resist with their presence. Four times, the houses fell. Four times, the people stayed.”
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