I am writing to ask you to take action about Israel’s ethnic cleansing and forced displacement of Palestinians in Masafer Yatta. We must act now. In January 2023 Israel announced imminent plans to forcibly displace these Palestinians from their homes. I ask that you call on the Foreign Secretary to apply sanctions on Israel until it stops violating international law and respects the human rights of Palestinians.

Masafer Yatta is a rural area in the occupied West Bank. It is home to 1000 Palestinians including 500 children. Israel has been trying to steal the land of Masafer Yatta for decades.

After more than 20 years of legal battles, in May 2022 Israel’s Supreme Court ruled that the Palestinian communities of Masafer Yatta be forcibly removed from their land. This is a war crime under international law. The Fourth Geneva Convention states that a population under occupation (Palestinians) cannot be forcibly transferred by the occupying power (Israel).

Since the ruling in May 2022, Israeli attacks on Palestinians in Masafer Yatta have intensified in a bid to pressure them to leave their ancestral lands. Israeli Occupation Forces and Israeli settlers have raided villages, attacked schools, seized vehicles and regularly inflict violence on Palestinian men, women and children. Israeli forces target villages with tear gas and sound bombs and regularly prevent teachers and students from getting to school.

This is one of the largest forced expulsions of Palestinians since the Naksa of 1967, when Israel occupied the West Bank and Gaza. As my MP, I call on you to demand sanctions on Israel until it ends this ethnic cleansing and complies with international law.

I look forward to receiving your response.

Yours sincerely,