Renovating caves for families in Masafer Yatta

On the ground:

Some institutions among us have joined the grassroots efforts to restore Masafer Yatta caves. We have restored 10 caves during the year 2022, and we will continue to restore caves during 2023. Currently, the mass forcible expulsion of the eight threatened villages in Masafer Yatta is taking place gradually. Israel is destroying Palestinian homes there one by one; making them homeless on a slower scale until the coercive environment they already live in exacerbates more. Therefore, it is to find alternative homes in which the residents of the villages can live in without living under the threat of home demolition. The Israeli occupation cannot easily demolish ancient caves in Masafer Yatta because they are not newly built buildings. Rather, these caves are centuries old.

At international level:

To further ensure that the Israeli occupation does not destroy these caves, we will also join in ongoing efforts to place these caves in the UNESCO, a measure that previously protected other areas like the village of Battir in Bethlehem.