West Bank; now a family’s toilet is a “closed military zone”

JVL Introduction

The cruel absurdity of Israel’s military occupation of Palestine is highlighted by this piece from the Villages Group writing about Umm Al Khair in the South Hebron Hills, where Karmel Settlement sits cheek by jowl with the village on land it stole from the villagers.  (Like all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem , Karmel is illegal under international law).

The Army “prevented a whole family, numbering 14 people, from accessing their toilet, and the family’s sheep pen by their home. The army summoned by them declared the area ‘closed military zone’. No one is allowed entry. The family is forbidden to enter its toilet; the sheep cannot receive food and water. The military prohibition applies to settlers as well, but they do not give a damn. They placed a swing at the entrance to the toilet, “decorated” the whole place with Israel flags, sat there and celebrated to the sound of children’s sobs, sheep bleating, and residents of Umm al Khair assembling and for the nth time, trying non-violently to reject the thugs, in vain.”

Meanwhile the people of this region try to stay, despite the huge pressure to leave.  To help the group continue their work, the Villages’ Group is appealing for your help to purchase another (second hand) suitable vehicle.  Accessing the villages and hamlets is notoriously difficult and the contact is much appreciated by the people that Villages Group members have been visiting for at least 25 years. More information is below the piece on the closed military zoned toilet!

This article was originally published by Villages Group on Tue 7 Jul 2026. Read the original here.