Shiʿb al-Butm (Arabic: شِعْب ٱلْبُطْم, also transliterated Shi’eb al-Butum, Shuʿb al-Butm, She'b al-Batem) is a small Palestinian herding hamlet in the South Hebron Hills, within the Masafer Yatta cluster of communities in the Hebron Governorate of the southern West Bank. Like other Masafer Yatta localities, it lies in Area C under Israeli civil and military control, and much of the surrounding area has been designated Firing Zone 918 for military training since the 1980s.[1] In February 2025, Amnesty International warned that the community was under “imminent threat of forcible transfer” amid escalating settler violence and demolitions.[2]
Shi'b al-Butm
شِعْب ٱلْبُطْم Shi’eb al-Butum; She'b al-Batem; Shi'b al-Batum | |
|---|---|
Hamlet | |
  Shi'b al-Butm Location within the West Bank, Palestine | |
| Coordinates: 31°23′40″N 35°07′57″E / 31.394509°N 35.132590°E | |
| State | State of Palestine |
| Governorate | Hebron Governorate |
| Area | Masafer Yatta |
| Elevation | 738 m (2,421 ft) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 |
Geography
editShiʿb al-Butm stands at about 738 metres above sea level, at approximately 31.394509°N, 35.132590°E. The hamlet lies east of Yatta, near al-Mufagara and the Israeli outpost of Avigayil, within the dispersed cave-dwelling and herding landscape that comprises Masafer Yatta.
History and archaeology
editThe wider Masafer Yatta landscape (Arabic masāfer, “travelling”) has long supported semi-sedentary pastoralism with cave-adapted dwelling. Families in Shiʿb al-Butm share the region's pattern of caves, cisterns, terraces and small dryland plots typical of the South Hebron Hills.[1] Nineteenth-century surveyors of the Palestine Exploration Fund recorded sites in the area including “Shảb el Butm,” transliterated as “spur of the terebinth,” reflecting the local toponymy of trees and landforms.[3]
Legal–administrative context
editFollowing the June 1967 war, the area came under Israeli occupation and was later included in Area C. In the 1980s, large parts of Masafer Yatta were declared Firing Zone 918, restricting civilian building and service connections.[1] Humanitarian agencies have documented a longstanding risk of forcible transfer affecting Masafer Yatta communities, including Shiʿb al-Butm.[4][5]
Access and services
edit- Road access: The hamlet is accessed by unpaved agricultural tracks branching from the Yatta–At-Tuwani area; humanitarian mapping notes recurrent access constraints typical of firing-zone localities.[1]
- Water and power: Households rely on rain-fed cisterns and trucked water; electricity is typically provided by small solar arrays, with periodic confiscations/demolitions reported across the area.[1]
- Basic services: Residents access schools and clinics in neighbouring hamlets and in Yatta. Medical NGOs have documented health impacts linked to demolitions, stress and movement restrictions in the South Hebron Hills.[6]
Population and livelihoods
editShiʿb al-Butm is one of the smaller Masafer Yatta communities. Families subsist on mixed herding (goats and sheep), small-plot dryland farming and seasonal grazing, consistent with regional patterns.[1] Local reports describe a few dozen households; numbers vary by source and time due to displacement pressures.[7]
Notable incidents
edit- 16 April 2022: Settlers attacked a Palestinian shepherd and drove him out of pastureland in Shiʿb al-Butm, according to B’Tselem documentation.[8]
- 20–27 November 2022: Two settlers led a flock of about 60 sheep through an olive grove and ploughed fields belonging to a resident of Shiʿb al-Butm, damaging crops.[9]
- 15 April 2024: Armed settlers from the outposts of Avigayil and Mitzpe Yair attacked homes in the hamlet and set a resident's car on fire, according to reports by Palestinian media.[10][11]
- 18 September 2024: A settler entered the hamlet, cut fencing and crops and damaged property, according to local reports.[12]
- 27 February 2025: Amnesty International highlighted Shiʿb al-Butm as at “imminent” risk of forcible transfer due to escalating settler attacks and demolitions.[13]
See also
editExternal links
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e f "Fact sheet: Masafer Yatta communities at risk of forcible transfer". UN OCHA. 6 July 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
- ^ "Israel/OPT: Masafer Yatta community in occupied West Bank under imminent threat of forcible transfer". Amnesty International. 27 February 2025. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
- ^ "Masafer Yatta – historical name notes (PEF)". Wikipedia. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
- ^ "Palestinians resisting forcible transfer in Masafer Yatta". UN OCHA. 24 March 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
- ^ "Israel/OPT: Rischio di trasferimento forzato nella comunità di Masafer Yatta". Amnesty International Italia. 27 February 2025. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
- ^ "Occupied lives – The risk of forcible transfer of Palestinians in Hebron" (PDF). Médecins Sans Frontières. 2024. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
- ^ "Masafer Yatta: Shi'b Al Butm villagers determined to stay on their land". International Solidarity Movement. 16 November 2023. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
- ^ "She'b al-Batum, Masafer Yatta: Settlers attack Palestinian shepherd". B’Tselem. 16 April 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
- ^ "She'b al-Batem, Masafer Yatta: Settler enters cultivated lands with flock". B’Tselem. November 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
- ^ "Settlers attack Shiʿb al-Butm and torch a vehicle". WAFA (in Arabic). 15 April 2024. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
- ^ "Settlers attack Shiʿb al-Butm and burn a vehicle". Palestine TV / PBC (in Arabic). 15 April 2024. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
- ^ "Settler invades Shiʿb al-Butm hamlet". WAFA (in Arabic). 18 September 2024. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
- ^ "Israel/OPT: Masafer Yatta community under imminent threat". Amnesty International. 27 February 2025. Retrieved 24 August 2025.