Umm al-Khair is a Palestinian village located in the Hebron Governorate of the State of Palestine, in the southern West Bank. It was inhabited by five families, roughly 70 people, in 2008. By 2017, the population of the village was 686.

The Palestinian village of Umm Al-Khair, is located in the Masafer Yatta region and Area C of the Occupied West Bank, which is under full Israeli civil and military control. The residents of Umm Al-Khair are a model of resilience in the face of occupation and ethnic cleansing. Their ancestors were expelled from their homes in what is now Israel in 1948 before purchasing the land of their current village.

The village is comprised of Bedouin refugees who were expelled from the Negev after 1948 & purchased the land from residents of Yatta.

In 1980, parts of their land were seized for ‘security' purposes, which soon turned out to be the establishment of the Carmel settlement.

For several years, Umm Al-Khair has been under constant threat of demolition and expulsion as the State of Israel seeks to confine Area C Palestinians into ever smaller areas. The residents of the settlement--just a 2 minute walk away--live in swanky modern homes with government-supplied electricity and running water; Umm Al-Khair residents lack permits to build a sufficient number of permanent structures, regularly purchase overpriced tanks for their water, and rely on donated solar panels for limited electricity. The stark contrast between the settlement and Umm Al-Khair is one of the clearest views of Israel's apartheid system.

Since October 7, the situation in Umm Al-Khair has become worse than residents can ever remember, and the village's neediest families, all of whom have lost their sources of income due to Israeli travel restrictions and settler violence, urgently need our support.

The harassement and the raids come not random by trespassers — they are settlers, including brainwashed teenagers, from illegal outposts such as Khavat Shoroshim (run by the extremist Shimon Attia) and Mashek Manne (run by the extremist Isachar Manne, who has been under sanctions).

Chronology (ongoing)

On June 26, 2024

Civil Administration personnel came with military and Border Police escort and three diggers. They demolished the homes of two families, leaving 24 Palestinians, 15 of them minors, homeless.

On June 27, 2024

In the morning the Israeli army raided the village of Umm Al-Khair and destroyed at least 11 homes and structures in the village, including its community tent. 40 people in the village were now newly homeless.

**On June 29, 2024 **

3 settler youths from the nearby violent outpost of Shorashim Farm (founded by Shimon Attia) entered a house, pushed the residents, and pepper sprayed a youth. They called Shimon who arrived with the army and settler security.

July 1st, 2024

2 settlers from Shorashim Farm took their sheep into the village & mixed them up with the village flocks.

Shimon arrived with another settler youth & attacked a resident with a rod while the youth pepper sprayed a group of women. A 5 yr-old girl was also injured. in all the commotion, Shimon fired shots into the air. An ambulance came for the wounded residents but Shimon attempted to block it, claiming that the wounded had attacked him.

July 2, 2024

Shimon arrived to the area of the village, accompanied by a military jeep & security vehicle, and set up a tent. The police told the residents that Shimon was allowed to be there because it was ‘state land’ & that he was permitted to build the tent.Later on, more & more settlers arrived. Guarded by soldiers, they held a prayer service by the village. As the settlers packed up, they threatened to return and rebuild the tent deeper inside the village. As they left, the settlers cut multiple holes through the village’s water pipes.

On July 3, 2024 (Report from the activist Elisheva Goldberg)

On Wednesday, the Israeli army and settler security forces demolished about a quarter of Umm al-Khair, without prior warning. Some homes had demolition orders pending for 18 years.

Eid Al Hathaleen, his wife, and four daughters lost their home and were left homeless with no time to appeal or remove belongings. Eid has since been sleeping on the rubble.

In the days that followed (Between July 3 and 6)

Settlers from the illegal Shorashim farm, led by Shimon Attia and accompanied by men in IDF uniforms, entered the village multiple times, firing live ammunition and tear gas.

Injuries Reported:

• A 5-year-old girl was injured.
• One man was shot.
• Two elderly women were hospitalized due to tear gas exposure.

Evidence of settlement expansion was visible throughout the village. Settlers even pitched a tent and prayed inside the village, and blocked access roads to prevent aid from reaching residents.

The settlers cut off the village's water supply, leaving 250 residents without water for drinking, cooking, or bathing—during extreme summer heat.

The combined actions of settlers and the military appear aimed at making life unlivable for Palestinians in Umm al-Khair, effectively pushing them off their land.

On July 5, 2024

The Israeli army, accompanied by settler security, completely unannounced, demolished nearly a quarter of the village. Buildings that have had demolition orders for 18 years. One of the homes was the house of Eid Al Hathaleen.

On July 26, 2024

The Israeli army raided the village of Umm Al-Khair and destroyed at least 11 homes and structures in the village, including its community tent. 40 people in the village are now newly homeless and the need is greater than ever;

At the end of the same month, a fundraiser allowed quickly to raise enough monney to help to rebuilt their community.

On October 26, 2024

Settlers, led by Shimon Atiya and escorted by Israeli soldiers, invaded the village with a herd, grazing between homes. A U.S. solidarity activist documenting the event was arrested by Israeli police.

On February 2 Residents of Umm al-Khair woke to settlers using heavy tools to drill and measure land near their homes, claiming ownership. Villagers were powerless to intervene. The operation was led by Issachar Man from the Masek Man outpost and Shimon Atiya from the Havat Shorashim outpost, accompanied by others known for violence.

A video of the land seizure was shamelessly posted on the Mount Hebron Council’s Facebook page, suggesting settler actions are not just tolerated but openly supported.

On February 4

Settlers from the 'Carmel' outpost are trying to seize land in Umm al-Khair by planting an olive groves

On February 14, 2025

For Tu BiShvat holiday, settlers find the opportunity to steal from the Palestinians. Dozens of settlers gathered inside the village and began planting trees and placing the flags Israel. This is a new step of establishing and outpost inside the Um al-Khair village with the protection of the Israeli authorities.

On April 7, 2025

Israeli settlers have begun placing caravans just meters from residents' homes, according to the Al-Baydar Organization. One was parked inside Umm al-Khair, where settlers had recently planted trees and raised an Israeli flag.

Dozens of settlers, led by Shimon Atiya, attacked the village, attempting to breach the fence and assaulting residents with clubs. At least three people — including a child and a young adult — were injured and taken to the hospital.

Later, under army protection, Shimon Attia was seen cutting a fence inside the village.

On April 15, 2025

Settler-shepherds grazerd their flocks right in the heart of the village under the protection — and false legal cover — of the Israeli occupation forces and police. They come from illegal outposts such as Khavat Shoroshim and Mashek Manne. They traveled many kilometers from different directions to invade the community and disrupt the lives, and spread terror.

A resident testified "What makes this even more painful is that they are grazing their flocks on our privately farmed land, where we have planted barley after months of hard work and with large financial investment. These crops are essential — not just for feeding our families, but for keeping our livestock alive. While we are forbidden from grazing even a few meters outside our village, they roam freely and destroy everything we’ve worked for. Many of us depend on this land to survive, and now it is being trampled and devoured in front of our eyes. This is not just provocation — it is part of a deliberate campaign to pressure us into leaving our homes. It’s a clear example of the settlers’ strategy of slow, methodical displacement."