"They want to displace us by any means": Settlers besiege the al-Hathalin family home in Umm al-Khair
Salem al-Hathalin and his family face ongoing aggression from settlers in the Khirbet Umm al-Khair area of Masafer Yatta, who besiege his home and cut off the family's livelihood, which depends solely on sheep.
Salem al-Hathalin and his family face ongoing aggression from settlers in the Khirbet Umm al-Khair area of Masafer Yatta, who surround his home and instill anxiety and fear in the hearts of the family members, including women and children. Details that were once routine for the family have become a daily source of worry, as they continue to cling to their home despite a growing feeling that the space available for them to live their lives is shrinking day by day. Al-Hathalin (53 years old) says his home is about 80 square meters and that he has lived on the same land since birth, but he now faces claims from settlers that part of the house is located on what they call Israeli "state land." He asserts that he has documents related to the land, saying: "I was born here and I live here, I have papers for the land and I have everything, they want to displace us by any means." The pressures are not limited to the house but extend to the surrounding lands, pastures, and the sheep pen, which is the family's only source of livelihood. Al-Hathalin explains that the settlers placed a fence inside the pen and closed off parts of it, restricting his ability to access and care for the sheep, and that the sheep no longer receive proper care, nor can he examine them, separate the pregnant ones, or call a veterinarian when needed.