JERUSALEM (AP) – Israeli forces prohibited journalists from visiting a West Bank village during a scheduled tour led by the director of the Oscar-winning film on Monday “There’s no other land.”
The director of the film, which highlights attacks by Israeli settlers, aimed to address the rise in settler violence against Palestinians in Israeli territory, inviting journalists to speak with residents about these incidents.
A video shared on X by co-director Yubal Abraham shows Israeli soldiers informing a group of international reporters that there is a “verse” governing the area due to military orders. Basel Adora, the Palestinian co-director who resides locally, reported that the military blocked access to two Palestinian villages intended for the journalists’ visit.
The Israeli military issued a statement asserting that entry to Khallet A-Daba was restricted as it lies within a live-fire training zone. While Thuwani is not classified in the firing area, the military mentioned prohibiting “individuals who may disrupt order” to sustain public order and avoid friction.
“They don’t want to see what’s going on here in the world.”
“They don’t want journalists to come to the village and meet the residents,” said Adora, who had invited reporters to his home. “It’s evident that they prefer the world to remain unaware of the situation here.”
Many areas nearby, including a cluster of small Bedouin villages known as Masafer Yatta, were designated live-fire training zones by the military in the 1980s. Despite evacuation orders, approximately 1,000 Palestinians still inhabit these areas, and journalists, human rights activists, and diplomats have previously frequented the village.
Local Palestinian residents have reported a surge in settler violence since October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel, igniting a conflict in the Gaza Strip. Israeli soldiers frequently destroy homes, tents, water tanks, and olive groves, instilling fear among Palestinians of impending displacement.
Adora noted that while journalists eventually gained access to one of the villages in Masafer Yatta, they were still barred from entering Tuwani and Khallet A-Daba, which he intended to showcase.
He explained that on Monday, settlers arrived in Khallet A-Daba, seizing some caves used by villagers, vandalizing residents’ possessions, and letting hundreds of sheep graze on village land. The army had previously demolished much of the village last month.
According to a statement to the Associated Press, the structures in the village were reportedly built illegally and destroyed after residents had a chance to contest the demolition.
The film has received numerous accolades
“There’s no other land,” which won an Oscar this year, chronicles the struggle of residents attempting to prevent Israeli forces from demolishing their villages. A joint production of Palestine and Israel, it was directed by Adora, Hamdambaral, another Palestinian activist from Masafer Yatta, alongside Israeli directors Yubal Abraham and Rachel Zel.
The film has garnered multiple international awards.
Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem during the 1967 Middle East War. Palestinians aspire to have all three as part of a future state, perceiving settlement growth as a significant barrier to achieving a two-state solution.
Israel has established over 100 settlements, housing more than half a million settlers with Israeli citizenship. Three million Palestinians in the West Bank live under Israeli military control, where the Palestinian authorities appear to govern only population centers with Western support.
___
Follow the AP war report at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
Source: apnews.com