West Bank outpost restricts Palestinian access to land and facilities

An illegal Israeli settlement outpost, established in September 2025 as an extension of the Carmel settlement, has been erected approximately 20 metres from the home of the al-Hathaleen family in Umm al-Khair, a hamlet in the Masafer Yatta area of the occupied West Bank. The outpost, along with associated military restrictions, has severely limited the family’s access to their livestock enclosure and a freestanding bathroom structure, forcing them to rely on a neighbour’s facilities. Local officials report that settlement expansion in Umm al-Khair has accelerated since October 2023, resulting in the loss of over 1,000 olive trees, 50,000 square metres of agricultural land, and a significant decline in livestock numbers from 3,000 to approximately 700.

Ikhlas al-Hathaleen reported that settlers placed obstacles, including barbed wire and children’s playground equipment, near the family’s bathroom in early July 2026 to hinder access. The Israeli army declared the area around the bathroom a closed military zone, limiting the family’s access to their livestock enclosure to only three instances in July 2026. The route to the neighbour’s toilet requires crossing a road used by settler vehicles, a danger underscored when five-year-old Swar al-Hathaleen was injured after being struck by a vehicle on the road in August 2025.

Ahmed al-Hathaleen, a resident, maintains a digital archive of approximately 1,500 video clips and 1,200 photographs documenting abuses in the village since April 2025. He described the collection as a method to record the situation for external observers, noting that children in the community have lost much of their normal childhood due to the surrounding environment. The local village council head, Khalil al-Hathaleen, stated that the expansion relies on expropriating Palestinian land, with demolition orders now issued against 14 homes and structures in the area.

An Israeli court issued an evacuation order for the outpost in October 2025, but the order was subsequently cancelled after the Israeli army failed to implement it. Hisham al-Sharbati, a researcher at the Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Center, said the organisation has been monitoring the situation for years and that the humanitarian impact is visible in every detail of daily life. He added that the actions of Israel and its settlers directly contravene international law, citing difficulties accessing sources of income and restrictions affecting basic facilities.

The situation in Umm al-Khair reflects a broader trend of settlement expansion across the occupied West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem. Since October 2023, Jewish settlers have become a particular menace, with little pushback from the Israeli state. The local Palestinians have little ability to push back against the Israeli settlers, as they risk being attacked more forcefully by the settlers, who have weapons, or arrested by soldiers. The al-Hathaleen family remains in their home, with Ikhlas stating they will not leave their land even if they have to live in a tent or under a tree.