Invitation to attend a press conference about the recent demolition orders issued by the Civil Administration concerning the village of Umm al-Khair in Masafer Yatta
Wednesday, November 5, 2025 , 13:00 pm, in person in Umm al-Khair, at the village community center, or online via Zoom (registration details below).
Tareq Hathaleen, a resident and an organizer in the village: “The lawyers working to defend Umm al Khair say we have a 1 in 5 chance of success in court. We need you to be with us now. This is our home and we will not leave. We will not give up, and we need your help.”
The Israeli authorities announced plans to demolish 14 houses in the village, including the community center, amounting to one third of the village. If they carry out the demolitions, residents will face homelessness as the weather turns cold. The demolition orders arrived on the same day on which the Israeli army was required to explain to the court why it had ignored its injunction preventing settlement and construction work in a new outpost built in Umm al-Khair.
In August, settlers placed caravans near the houses of Umm al-Khair, about a month after Umm al-Khair’s resident, the activist and community leader, Awdah Hathaleen was shot and killed by the sanctioned settler Yinon Levy, while settlers were preparing the land for the new outpost. The new outpost was established just a few steps away from the community center, in the middle of the village, effectively cutting the village in half. While working on the outpost settlers with the backing of the Israeli authorities cut the main water pipe of the village several times, leaving hundreds of residents with no running water. Settlers are claiming that the new outpost is an extension of Carmel settlement, which was established on the lands of Umm al-Khair in 1981. However, in order to reach the new outpost, settlers pass through the village, often harassing the residents as they pass through, accompanied by military forces ensuring that residents do not leave their homes while the settlers are walking in the village.
This press conference will provide an opportunity to witness first hand and to hear from residents about the wider context of the planned demolitions, which serve as another tool used by the Israeli regime, to forcefully displace the residents.
Details of the Press Conference:
Date: Wednesday, November 5, 2025
Time: Time: 1:00 PM Palestine | 12:00 PM Central Europe | 11:00 AM London | 6:00 AM New York
Location (in-person): Umm al-Khair, community center
Online, register here to receive the zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_-ptUtCOOT3ODXM_FCvTF-g
Your presence and coverage are crucial in shedding light on what Umm al-Khair and other villages in the West Bank are facing.
For further information or to confirm your attendance, please contact:
Khalil Hathaleen - +972-593304766, Eid Suliman +972-522045664
We look forward to welcoming you.