Today, Wednesday, Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) emphasized that the humanitarian conditions endured by Palestinians residing in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron, due to Israeli measures of forced displacement have become unbearable and amount to war crimes, constituting a violation of international humanitarian law.
The organization held a press conference in the Jordanian capital, Amman, discussing the humanitarian crisis in Palestine, specifically the health consequences resulting from the occupation's forced displacement measures in Masafer Yatta, under the theme: "Unbearable Life."
Inas Abu Khalaf, the Regional Head of the organization's office in Amman, stated, "Israeli coercive measures undermine the health of people in Masafer Yatta, and its inhabitants are at risk of forced displacement."
She added, "Palestinians living in Masafer Yatta and its surroundings in the southern West Bank face immense challenges, living in constant fear of displacement, house demolitions, water restrictions, and restrictions on their movements, in addition to being exposed to settler violence."
David Kanté Robériz, the Head of Mission for Médecins Sans Frontières in the occupied Palestinian territories, called on the international community to bear its legal responsibility towards the residents of Masafer Yatta.
He stated, "Around 1,100 people from Masafer Yatta are at risk of forced displacement, which constitutes a violation of international humanitarian law that Israel must respect, as well as a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention, thus becoming a war crime."
Robériz further explained, "The residents of Masafer Yatta face various forms of violence, as soldiers enter villages at night, impose curfews and other restrictions, conduct military exercises near residential areas, confiscate vehicles, and demolish homes, making the people's lives unbearable."
As a humanitarian medical organization, Médecins Sans Frontières condemns Israeli policies and calls on Israeli authorities to immediately halt the displacement plan and the implementation of measures that restrict access to essential services, including medical care, for Palestinians in Masafer Yatta.
The organization urged the international community to take urgent and necessary measures to protect the population and ensure respect for their human rights.
Maryam Qa'abas, the Psychological Support Supervisor at Médecins Sans Frontières, affirmed that the purpose of the conference was to shed light on the plight of the residents of Masafer Yatta and convey part of the experiences of doctors witnessing the suffering of the people, often overlooked by the media.
She stated that the residents there face psychological pressures and significant daily suffering due to Israeli measures, in an attempt to forcibly displace them.
During the press conference, the organization's team presented a documentary film titled "Masafer Yatta: Forcibly Displaced," which included testimonies from villagers who are experiencing house demolitions and daily pressures.
