Umm al-Khair is a Palestinian village located in the Hebron Governorate of the State of Palestine, in the southern West Bank. It was inhabited by five families, roughly 70 people, in 2008. By 2017, the population of the village was 686. The Palestinian village of Umm Al-Khair, is located in the Masafer Yatta region and Area C of the Occupied West Bank, which is under full Israeli civil and military control. The residents of Umm Al-Khair are a model of resilience in the face of occupation and ethnic cleansing. Their ancestors were expelled from their homes in what is now Israel in 1948 before purchasing the land of their current village. The village is comprised of Bedouin refugees who were expelled from the Negev after 1948 & purchased the land from residents of Yatta. In 1980, parts of their land were seized for ‘security' purposes, which soon turned out to be the establishment of the Carmel settlement. For several years, Umm Al-Khair has been under constant threat of demolition and expulsion as the State of Israel seeks to confine Area C Palestinians into ever smaller areas. The residents of the settlement--just a 2 minute walk away--live in swanky modern homes with government-supplied electricity and running water; Umm Al-Khair residents lack permits to build a sufficient number of permanent structures, regularly purchase overpriced tanks for their water, and rely on donated solar panels for limited electricity. The stark contrast between the settlement and Umm Al-Khair is one of the clearest views of Israel's apartheid system. Since October 7, the situation in Umm Al-Khair has become worse than residents can ever remember, and the village's neediest families, all of whom have lost their sources of income due to Israeli travel restrictions and settler violence, urgently need our support. The harassement and the raids come not random by trespassers — they are settlers, including brainwashed teenagers, from illegal outposts such as Khavat Shoroshim (run by the extremist Shimon Attia) and Mashek Manne (run by the extremist Isachar Manne, who has been under sanctions). **Chronology (ongoing)** **On June 26, 2024** Civil Administration personnel came with military and Border Police escort and three diggers. They demolished the homes of two families, leaving 24 Palestinians, 15 of them minors, homeless. **On June 27, 2024** In the morning the Israeli army raided the village of Umm Al-Khair and destroyed at least 11 homes and structures in the village, including its community tent. 40 people in the village were now newly homeless. **On June 29, 2024 ** 3 settler youths from the nearby violent outpost of Shorashim Farm (founded by Shimon Attia) entered a house, pushed the residents, and pepper sprayed a youth. They called Shimon who arrived with the army and settler security. **July 1st, 2024** 2 settlers from Shorashim Farm took their sheep into the village & mixed them up with the village flocks. Shimon arrived with another settler youth & attacked a resident with a rod while the youth pepper sprayed a group of women. A 5 yr-old girl was also injured. in all the commotion, Shimon fired shots into the air. An ambulance came for the wounded residents but Shimon attempted to block it, claiming that the wounded had attacked him. **July 2, 2024** Shimon arrived to the area of the village, accompanied by a military jeep & security vehicle, and set up a tent. The police told the residents that Shimon was allowed to be there because it was ‘state land’ & that he was permitted to build the tent.Later on, more & more settlers arrived. Guarded by soldiers, they held a prayer service by the village. As the settlers packed up, they threatened to return and rebuild the tent deeper inside the village. As they left, the settlers cut multiple holes through the village’s water pipes. **On July 3, 2024** (Report from the activist Elisheva Goldberg) On Wednesday, the Israeli army and settler security forces demolished about a quarter of Umm al-Khair, without prior warning. Some homes had demolition orders pending for 18 years. Eid Al Hathaleen, his wife, and four daughters lost their home and were left homeless with no time to appeal or remove belongings. Eid has since been sleeping on the rubble. *In the days that followed (Between July 3 and 6)* Settlers from the illegal Shorashim farm, led by Shimon Attia and accompanied by men in IDF uniforms, entered the village multiple times, firing live ammunition and tear gas. Injuries Reported: - A 5-year-old girl was injured. - One man was shot. - Two elderly women were hospitalized due to tear gas exposure. Evidence of settlement expansion was visible throughout the village. Settlers even pitched a tent and prayed inside the village, and blocked access roads to prevent aid from reaching residents. The settlers cut off the village's water supply, leaving 250 residents without water for drinking, cooking, or bathing—during extreme summer heat. The combined actions of settlers and the military appear aimed at making life unlivable for Palestinians in Umm al-Khair, effectively pushing them off their land. **On July 5, 2024** The Israeli army, accompanied by settler security, completely unannounced, demolished nearly a quarter of the village. Buildings that have had demolition orders for 18 years. One of the homes was the house of Eid Al Hathaleen. **On July 26, 2024** The Israeli army raided the village of Umm Al-Khair and destroyed at least 11 homes and structures in the village, including its community tent. 40 people in the village are now newly homeless and the need is greater than ever; At the end of the same month, a fundraiser allowed quickly to raise enough monney to help to rebuilt their community. **On October 26, 2024** Settlers, led by Shimon Atiya and escorted by Israeli soldiers, invaded the village with a herd, grazing between homes. A U.S. solidarity activist documenting the event was arrested by Israeli police. **On February 2** Residents of Umm al-Khair woke to settlers using heavy tools to drill and measure land near their homes, claiming ownership. Villagers were powerless to intervene. The operation was led by Issachar Man from the Masek Man outpost and Shimon Atiya from the Havat Shorashim outpost, accompanied by others known for violence. A video of the land seizure was shamelessly posted on the Mount Hebron Council’s Facebook page, suggesting settler actions are not just tolerated but openly supported. **On February 4** Settlers from the 'Carmel' outpost are trying to seize land in Umm al-Khair by planting an olive groves **On February 14, 2025** For Tu BiShvat holiday, settlers find the opportunity to steal from the Palestinians. Dozens of settlers gathered inside the village and began planting trees and placing the flags Israel. This is a new step of establishing and outpost inside the Um al-Khair village with the protection of the Israeli authorities. **On April 7, 2025** Israeli settlers have begun placing caravans just meters from residents' homes, according to the Al-Baydar Organization. One was parked inside Umm al-Khair, where settlers had recently planted trees and raised an Israeli flag. Dozens of settlers, led by Shimon Atiya, attacked the village, attempting to breach the fence and assaulting residents with clubs. At least three people — including a child and a young adult — were injured and taken to the hospital. Later, under army protection, Shimon Attia was seen cutting a fence inside the village. **On April 15, 2025** Settler-shepherds grazerd their flocks right in the heart of the village under the protection — and false legal cover — of the Israeli occupation forces and police. They come from illegal outposts such as Khavat Shoroshim and Mashek Manne. They traveled many kilometers from different directions to invade the community and disrupt the lives, and spread terror. A resident testified *"What makes this even more painful is that they are grazing their flocks on our privately farmed land, where we have planted barley after months of hard work and with large financial investment. These crops are essential — not just for feeding our families, but for keeping our livestock alive. While we are forbidden from grazing even a few meters outside our village, they roam freely and destroy everything we’ve worked for. Many of us depend on this land to survive, and now it is being trampled and devoured in front of our eyes. This is not just provocation — it is part of a deliberate campaign to pressure us into leaving our homes. It’s a clear example of the settlers’ strategy of slow, methodical displacement."* **On June 29 - July 1st:** Over three consecutive days (June 29–July 1), settler Shimon Atia repeatedly entered the Palestinian village of Umm Al Khair in the West Bank, trespassing, intimidating residents, seizing land, and committing acts of violence. Despite his actions — including armed threats, assaults, and destruction of property — Israeli authorities consistently sided with him, enforcing his land grab and failing to protect the villagers. **On 28 July 2025** Awdah (Awdeh) Hathaleen, a 31-year-old Palestinian teacher and activist from Umm al‑Khair in the Masafer Yatta area south of Hebron, was shot dead by an Israeli settler identified as Yinon Levi during confrontations over land and bulldozing efforts. See [the event](https://genocide.live/event/2197) **On Augustus, 2025** The infamously violent Shimon Attia, broke off from Carmel to plant an outpost just meters from the village community center. **On October 12, 2025** A Jerusalem District Court issued a temporary injunction barring settlers from moving into the outpost, prohibiting any further construction, and ordering that the caravans and fencing on village land remain frozen until further notice. But, the settlers were working on the outpost again. **On November 2025: the pressure and attacks increase** **On November 9:** Attack this morning in Umm al-Khair: Young men from the “Havat Shorashim” outpost of the settler Shimon Atiya invaded privately owned land belonging to villagers and grazed their sheep there. They assaulted two villagers who were working on their land with sticks. One was injured in the head and taken to the hospital, and the other sustained a hand injury.

Umm Safa is a village in the Ramallah district of the West Bank, facing severe land seizure by Israeli settlers and military forces. The village has experienced regular invasions and attacks, with settlers and soldiers harassing residents, cutting water supplies, and storming homes, leading to a growing humanitarian crisis. ### Land Seizure: Israeli settlers, backed by the army, have been expropriating private lands from the village, leveling and destroying agricultural areas, including olive and grape trees. Settlers brought bulldozers to prepare the land for illegal settlement expansion on Jabal al-Ras and Abu Tantur hills. ### Impact on Residents: - The village has been under constant attacks from settlers and the Israeli army, with settler violence intensifying, especially since 2023. - Settlers have already fired live bullets at homes, disrupted daily life, and attacked the local school during school hours. - Multiple Palestinian youths, including Mohammed al-Bayed and Abdul Jiwad Salah, were killed while resisting the settler invasions. ## Protests and Suppression: - Villagers, alongside International or Jewish anti-sionist activists, protested the land seizures. These protests have been met with violent suppression by Israeli forces, using tear gas and stun grenades. Soldiers have destroyed monuments dedicated to villagers killed by the army, further intensifying tensions. ## International Appeal: The people and council of Umm Safa are appealing to the international community for solidarity and intervention, calling for action to stop the ongoing land theft, harassment, and displacement. Residents and solidarity activists have been persistently calling for international attention and justice, documenting these ongoing attacks and human rights violations. ## Chronological summary of the recent events in Umm Safa **January 2024** - January 2: Israeli settlers, protected by the military, began bulldozing land in the Jabal al-Ras area of Umm Safa, initiating large-scale land theft aimed at settlement expansion. - January 9: Palestinian man, Ameed Ibrahim Samih Jayousi (31), was killed by Israeli forces. His body was reportedly taken by settlers from a Palestinian ambulance near Umm Safa. - January 13: Israeli anti-apartheid activists visited Umm Safa as attacks from settlers and Israeli military forces increased. - January 20: Israeli forces suppressed Palestinian farmers and tried to prevent them from reaching their lands. Villagers, along with activists, planted olive trees on private lands, but the army uprooted them and fired tear gas at those present. **February 2024** - February 18: Israeli forces kidnapped a young Palestinian man, Muhammad Samih Karaja, after raiding his house in Umm Safa. **May 2024** - May 25: Every Friday, settlers from Ateret settlement have invaded the village’s lands, protected by the army. During this specific Friday, the army not only protected the settlers but also shot stun grenades and gas bombs into the village, setting a field on fire. **July 2024** - July 12: Israeli forces invaded a house in the village, took over the roof, and threw stun grenades at activists documenting the invasion. **September 2024** - September 9: Israeli bulldozers demolished approximately 200,000 m² of cultivated land in the Jabal al-Ras region, including olive and grape trees. Settlers and soldiers invaded the village, intensifying land destruction and harassment. - September 11: Villagers of Umm Safa issued an urgent appeal to the international community, highlighting the continuous attacks by Israeli settlers and soldiers, with blockades cutting off access points to the village and daily harassment. They warned of impending displacement and ethnic cleansing due to the rapid settlement expansion. - September 14: Israeli forces suppressed a peaceful anti-settlement protest march in Umm Safa with tear gas. Villagers and activists were demonstrating against the ongoing land seizures by settlers. - September 15: Settlers continued leveling land just meters away from homes. Israeli forces again used stun grenades and tear gas to disperse demonstrators protesting the theft of 123.5 acres of land by settlers. **March 2025** - March 10 : A group of settlers infiltrated the western side of the village in the early hours of the morning and stormed a car garage belonging to citizen Mohammad Yusuf al-Sabti Sabah and his brother Raafat, where they set it on fire, which led to the complete burning of three vehicles.  ## Ongoing Attacks and Resistance: - Throughout 2024, Umm Safa has been subjected to repeated attacks, with settlers frequently raiding homes, cutting water supplies, and threatening residents. The Israeli military has protected these settlers, often using force to suppress protests from the villagers. - Villagers have tried to resist the settler takeovers by protesting, planting trees on their land, and collaborating with activists, but their efforts have been violently suppressed by Israeli forces. ### Sources : [https://x.com/activestills/status/1809635795071885690](url) [https://x.com/Mistaclim/status/1811848511329120455](url) [https://x.com/PulseofPal/status/1833150391124443183](url) [https://x.com/gazanotice/status/1835125987350069470](url) [https://x.com/imemcnews/status/1834992391532454267](url) [https://x.com/transandwell/status/1834902811550629921](url) [https://x.com/ytirawi/status/1794371379409678695](url) [https://x.com/ytirawi/status/1791901520344101365](url) [https://imemc.org/article/army-suppresses-anti-settlement-march-near-ramallah/](url)