Israeli soldiers recently prohibited journalists from entering Palestinian villages in the West Bank during a planned tour linked to the Oscar-winning film “No Other Land.” The documentary highlights attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinians and aimed to facilitate conversations between the press and local residents regarding rising settler violence. The film’s co-director, Basel Adra, reported that soldiers blocked access to two villages — Khallet A-Daba and Tuwani — citing military orders and a live-fire training zone as reasons. The military’s statement indicated that it sought to maintain public order and prevent disruptions, asserting that Khallet A-Daba was an active firing zone, while concerns about maintaining order applied to Tuwani.
Adra expressed that this restriction seemed aimed at preventing journalists from witnessing the situation on the ground. The area, which includes Masafer Yatta, has faced long-standing military restrictions since being designated as a training zone in the 1980s, with about 1,000 residents remaining despite eviction orders. Recent events, particularly following the October 7 attack by Hamas, have intensified reports of settler violence, with ongoing demolitions of homes and agricultural destruction by Israeli forces creating fears of potential Palestinian expulsions.
Although journalists eventually gained access to one village in Masafer Yatta, they were still barred from visiting Tuwani and Khallet A-Daba. Reports indicated that settlers intruded into Khallet A-Daba, damaging local homes and livestock, following demolitions of structures deemed illegal by the military. “No Other Land” documents these challenges faced by residents amid Israeli military actions, underscoring the broader context of Israeli-Palestinian tensions centering on land settlements.
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