Israeli forces abducted a Palestinian man from Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron in the occupied West Bank’s southern part, on Thursday, while illegal paramilitary Israeli colonizers assaulted and injured a man and released their cattle into Palestinian lands and around residential structures in several communities, causing damage and heightening pressure on families already facing displacement.
Local activist Osama Makhamra said Israeli soldiers abducted Khalil Ahmad Al Hreini, from the village of Susiya, after colonizers released their livestock into Palestinian‑owned lands surrounding the village.
He added that colonizers released a herd of cows around the homes and agricultural structures of the Moghannam family in the Rahaniya area, adjacent to the illegal colony of Susiya.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said its medics treated a 40‑year‑old man after illegal paramilitary Israeli colonizers assaulted him.
Furthermore, media sources said the soldiers demolished most structures in Khirbet at‑Tabban community in Masafer Yatta, displacing 70 Palestinians, including 28 children.
In a related incident, colonizers released their livestock in the yard of the home of Mohammad an‑Najjar in Khirbet Al Markaz in Masafer Yatta, and in the lands surrounding the home of Mohammad Al Jabarin in the eastern area of Shu’ab Al Batem.
Masafer Yatta is one of the most targeted areas in the southern Hebron hills, where Palestinian communities face continuous attacks by illegal paramilitary Israeli colonizers and repeated invasions by Israeli soldiers. Israel designated large parts of the region as “Firing Zone 918,” a classification used to justify demolitions, expulsions, and severe movement restrictions.
Colonizers from nearby illegal colonies — including Susiya, Mitzpe Yair, and Avigayil — have escalated efforts to seize Palestinian lands by releasing livestock into agricultural fields, damaging crops, contaminating water sources, and forcing families away from their homes and grazing areas.
These attacks almost always occur under the protection of Israeli soldiers, who frequently install military roadblocks, abduct residents, and prevent Palestinian farmers from accessing their lands.
Communities such as Khirbet Al Markaz, Shu’ab Al Batem, and Susiya have endured repeated demolitions, confiscation of water tanks, and assaults targeting homes, tents, and livestock structures.
Human rights groups have documented dozens of incidents in which colonizers released cattle directly into Palestinian residential areas as part of a broader strategy to displace families and expand illegal colonies.
