Three Bedouin families from the Al-Ara‘ara clan were forced to leave their homes in the Al-Hathroura Bedouin community near Khan al-Ahmar, east of Jerusalem, after being subjected to direct attacks and harassment by settlers. This marks a serious escalation accompanying the establishment of a new settlement outpost in the area surrounding the community.
The Jerusalem Governorate confirmed that these families abandoned their homes under direct threats to their lives and property. The assaults included invading the area, attacking residents, stealing property, harassing shepherds, and preventing them from grazing their sheep, all under the protection of occupation forces, which provided full cover for these violations. Two other families from the same community had previously been forced to leave in recent weeks due to similar attacks.
These incidents are part of a systematic policy aimed at pressuring Bedouin communities to clear the land for settlement expansion by creating a hostile environment that drives residents into forced displacement. This falls under the definition of forcible transfer, which is prohibited under international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions, which affirm civilians’ right to remain in their homes and not be forcibly moved from their land.
These violations also constitute a clear breach of international human rights law, including the right to adequate housing, protection from forced eviction, and the right of residents to move freely and conduct their economic activities without harassment or threats. The documented events point to a continuing pattern of similar violations targeting Bedouin communities in East Jerusalem, compounding humanitarian risks and threatening the stability of local communities.
These violations call for urgent intervention by the international community and human rights organizations to protect residents of threatened Bedouin communities, impose an immediate halt to the attacks, and ensure respect for civilians’ fundamental rights to housing and safe living in accordance with international human rights law and international humanitarian law.
