Masafer Yatta: Some 1,200 Palestinians under threat of expulsion after historic Israeli ruling

 

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 In 1999, 700 Palestinians were temporarily expelled from their homes in a rural area in the southern West Bank. Today, after a recent ruling by the Israeli Supreme Court, many of them and their descendants, some 1,200 people, could be expelled again in one of the largest evictions in the occupied zone since 1967. 

The High Court of Justice ruling of May 4 dismissed previous appeals against eviction orders issued to area residents, which Israel declared a military firing range in the 1980s. 

The Palestinians claim they have the right to remain on the land and live there for generations, but Israel says they are occupying their land and are not entitled to permanent residence in the firing range. 

The decision is criticized by some legal experts in Israel and the United Nations. They said in a statement that, by confirming the eviction orders, he gave the Israeli government white paper to perpetuate its systematic repression against the Palestinians.

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*** Video 1: Israeli police fired tear gas at Palestinians demonstrating against the Israeli High Court decision to approve the eviction of around 1,200 Palestinians from the Masafer Yatta area in the West Bank, according to reports.