Jerusalem l
In a move that has sparked international concern, Israeli soldiers on Monday barred journalists from entering several Palestinian villages in the occupied West Bank, where they were scheduled to meet residents as part of a tour organised by the directors of the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land.
The filmmakers, including Palestinian co-directors Basel Adra and Hamdan Ballal, and Israeli co-directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, had invited a group of international journalists to the region to document growing settler violence in the Masafer Yatta area of the southern Hebron hills. The area, home to several small Bedouin villages, has long been a flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In a video shared by co-director Yuval Abraham on the social media platform X, an Israeli soldier is seen telling journalists there is “no passage” into the area due to a military order. According to Adra, the military blocked access to the villages of Tuwani and Khallet A-Daba, both of which were scheduled stops on the tour.
Military Justification: Live-Fire Zone and Public Order
In a statement, the Israeli military said entry into Khallet A-Daba was prohibited because it falls within a designated live-fire training zone, a classification dating back to the 1980s. Although Tuwani is not officially part of the firing zone,
The military stated, “Individuals who might disrupt order were barred from entering the area to maintain public order and prevent friction.”
“They don’t want the world to see what is happening here,” said Adra, whose home in Tuwani was also part of the planned tour route. “The intention was to show the reality of increasing settler violence, but the military blocked the media from documenting it.”
Rising Tensions and Village Demolitions
The incident comes amid a sharp escalation in settler attacks on Palestinian communities in the West Bank, particularly since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, following a deadly Hamas assault on Israel. Palestinian residents say they have faced repeated home demolitions, settler invasions, and the destruction of essential infrastructure like water tanks and olive groves.
Adra told journalists that, “settlers arrived in Khallet A-Daba on Monday, occupying caves where villagers live, destroying belongings, and allowing livestock to graze on farmland. Much of the village had already been demolished by Israeli forces last month.”
The Israeli military responded by stating the structures were built illegally, and residents were allowed to present their case before the demolitions were carried out.
Journalists Reach One Village, Barred from Others
Despite military restrictions, the group of journalists was reportedly able to visit one village in Masafer Yatta, though they were denied access to Tuwani and Khallet A-Daba, where the most serious incidents were said to have occurred. The documentary No Other Land, which won the Oscar for Best Documentary in 2025, highlights the lived experiences of Palestinians in Masafer Yatta resisting displacement and demolition by the Israeli military. Its release has drawn global attention to the situation on the ground.
The film, co-directed by both Palestinians and Israelis, has received critical acclaim and multiple international awards. It presents a powerful account of shared resistance and the devastating human cost of Israel’s West Bank policies.
Background: The West Bank Conflict
Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem in the 1967 Six-Day War. Today, more than 500,000 Israeli settlers live in over 100 settlements in the West Bank, while approximately 3 million Palestinians reside under Israeli military control, with limited self-rule provided by the Palestinian Authority.
Palestinians and much of the international community view settlement expansion as a major obstacle to peace and the establishment of a two-state solution.
