HEBRON, West Bank / PNN /
In the villages of Masafer Yatta, southeast of Hebron, nightfall brings more than darkness. It marks the beginning of hours spent watching, listening and keeping guard as residents and activists describe a climate of fear and tension that has persisted for years and intensified since Oct. 7.
International solidarity activists and local residents now take turns patrolling the area at night, keeping watch over homes, livestock and surrounding communities amid fears of attacks targeting property or residents.
Hussein Al-Hreimi, a human rights activist and solidarity campaigner in Masafer Yatta, said activists have been conducting nighttime patrols in the village of Al-Tawamin to support residents following an attack about two weeks ago that, according to residents, resulted in several homes being set on fire.
The activists begin their patrols after sunset, moving between several villages and hamlets across Masafer Yatta, including Al-Fakheit, Al-Tuwani, Al-Mufaqara and Al-Rakeez. Their stated aim is to remain alongside residents and help ease the fear and anxiety that have followed recent attacks.
Their equipment is basic: flashlights and wooden sticks used while monitoring the areas surrounding the villages during the night, Al-Hreimi said.
He said life in Masafer Yatta has changed significantly since Oct. 7, with residents feeling vulnerable not only at night but throughout the day. The fears include possible attacks on residents, the burning or destruction of homes and damage to property, he said.
For the activists, the nighttime patrols begin as residents end their daily routines.
“The idea is to stay with the people and support them,” Al-Hreimi said, describing the patrols as a way of standing alongside families living amid heightened security concerns.
But the nighttime watch is not limited to activists and solidarity groups.
Residents of Masafer Yatta have also organised their own shifts to monitor their communities and protect their families, children, livestock and property.
Salah Anwar Jundi, a resident of Khirbet Tuba in Masafer Yatta, said residents organise night watches because of concerns about possible attacks by Israeli settlers.
The guards monitor the surrounding area and alert residents if they detect any unusual movement or an attack, giving families time to secure their homes or, when possible, move to areas they consider safer.
The way residents organise the watches varies with the season. During the summer, young men gather in a tent to monitor the area. In winter, residents monitor designated sections from inside their homes and immediately alert the rest of the group if they notice any movement, Jundi said.
For residents, the demand is simple: to live in safety and peace.
Jundi said families do not feel secure at any hour, whether during the day or at night, because they fear they could be exposed to an attack or other danger.
Despite those fears, he said residents remain committed to the land where their families have lived for generations.
“This is our home,” he said, describing the land as the place where residents grew up and where their families have lived since the time of their grandparents. They have no other place they want to go, he said.
As night watches continue across the villages of Masafer Yatta, residents and activists remain on alert, seeking to provide a measure of protection for families, homes, livestock and property.
For the people living there, the watches are not only about security. They are also a reflection of their determination to remain on their land and in the homes that have been part of their families’ lives for generations, while calling for the right to live safely and peacefully in their communities.
This video was produced as part of the “Media Support in Times of Crisis” project implemented by Palestine News Network in cooperation with Palestine Media Hub.
