Humanitarian Aid Missions
The women of Itach-Maaki and A Topola are examining the practical implications of UN Resolution 1325 on the ground. For this, they have chosen to focus on the women of communities in Masafer Yatta, an area that was declared by Israel as a military operation zone, and the expulsion of its residents—numbering over 1000—was recently approved by Israel’s Supreme Court.
After the Supreme Court ruling, the petitioners are at a legal dead end. As such, we believe the only way to prevent their expulsion is concerted public and international pressure.
"The area is open, but we are imprisoned."
The story of the women of Masafer Yatta
"We hardly ever leave the borders of the village. We are imprisoned here. You may see an open area, but in reality, we are imprisoned. Now we are even imprisoned inside the house and not just inside the community. A week ago, they started training with live ammunition. We see the tanks and do not dare to leave the house for fear that they will shoot at us or we will be hit by a stray bullet
The testimony of Samia, a resident of one of the communities of Masafer Yatta in the south of Mount Hebron, is one of a series of interviews published in an unusual project led by Itach-Maaki (איתך مَعَكِ) – Women Lawyers for Social Justice, and the A-Topula Center, which seeks to make the voices of women from communities targeted for deportation heard.
In Masafer Yatta, in the South Hebron Hills, around 12 Palestinian communities live under an unimaginable reality of daily settler terror—backed by, ignored by, and sometimes coordinated with the Israeli army. This is one of the most brutal flashpoints of the occupation: a systematic attempt to expel families from their homes, demolish caves, schools, and clinics, deny access to water and roads, and strip people of basic living conditions. Women and children live in fear, enduring a constant routine of attacks, night raids, roadblocks, physical violence, and ongoing humiliation.
Within this cruel reality, Mothers Against Violence organizes humanitarian aid delegations—because we refuse to look away. It’s not “just” food, medicine, diapers, and water—it’s a moment of solidarity, of sisterhood, of hope. These delegations are made up of Israeli mothers who bring warmth, visibility, and moral responsibility. Through their presence, they create a space of humanity, where mothers meet mothers—not enemies, but women who choose life.
The mothers of Masafer Yatta are not asking what tomorrow will bring—they’re asking if they’ll still have a roof, if their children will get to school, if they will wake up to another day.
Our delegations carry a clear message: We see you. We stand with you.
You cannot expel life from this land.
