A gang of Israeli settlers besieged the home of the Hethalinen Palestinian family in Khirbet Umm al-Khair, in the Masfer Yatta area, south of the occupied West Bank, imposing strict restrictions on the movement of its members and their home facilities, in a reality that threatens to force them to leave the land they have lived on all their lives.
The khirbet is located in Area "C" zones, which are under full Israeli control according to the Oslo II Agreement, where Salem Hethalinen (53 years old) faces allegations from settlers that part of his home is located on state land, despite possessing documents proving his ownership. Hethalinen affirms his determination to stay, pointing out that settlers have placed a fence inside their sheep pen and closed parts of it, limiting his ability to tend to them, examine them, or call in a veterinarian.
Hethalinen added that the sheep are no longer receiving the necessary care, and that he can only stay with them for five minutes a day, leading to the death of some of them, stressing that this livestock represents the family's only source of livelihood. He also pointed out that surrounding pastures have been closed, and that settlers frequently visit the area around the home, with some approaching the women and his daughters, directing offensive words at them.
For his part, Hethalinen confirmed that the presence of the Israeli army and police has not changed the reality or put an end to the harassment, saying that family members live in constant fear and find it difficult to sleep at night or during the day. He pointed out that the measures facing his family may be part of a pattern that repeats with other families, where pressure shifts from his family to their neighbors after forcing them to leave.
Salem's wife, Ikhlas Hethalinen, clarified that the restrictions extended to the home's facilities themselves, noting that the bathroom has been closed for about four months and that family members cannot access it. She added that merely opening a window or sticking a hand out of it has become a potential cause for arrest, while settlers approach the windows at night, threatening her daughter Sara during her studies.
The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights warned on November 7, 2025, of demolition orders targeting 11 homes and facilities in Umm al-Khair, considering that Israeli authorities consider most facilities non-compliant due to their inability to obtain building permits, which are difficult to acquire. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs also documented more than 1,600 settler attacks in the West Bank from the beginning of 2026 until September 14, affecting 275 Palestinian communities.
In the same context, official data indicates the presence of approximately 750,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, distributed across 194 settlements and about 400 outposts, while residents of Masfer Yatta face the repercussions of classifying parts of the area as closed military zones, which restrict construction and movement.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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