When Israeli forces demolished the home of 28-year-old Sidqi Aqrabawi, he and his family relocated to a two-room corrugated zinc shack in Khirbat al-Tawil, a small hamlet east of Aqraba village in the northern occupied West Bank.
However, Israeli forces soon pursued them and levelled the shack as well.
Aware that Israel would also demolish his family's two "zinc" rooms, he had taken steps weeks earlier to clear out a nearby cave for his family to live in, choosing one topped by a massive boulder, where, with the help of his brothers, he removed a large number of stones, debris, and soil, and extended electrical cables to make it habitable.
Speaking to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, °®Âþµº's Arabic-language sister edition, Sidqi said, "The occupation bulldozers razed my home to the ground and didn't let us retrieve anything from it. My wife, children, and I were left in the open."
He added that he doesn't "know the meaning of surrender, and we won't leave our land as easy prey to the occupation and the settlers."
Sidiqi further explained that he prepared the cleared-out cavern by furnishing it with basic essentials like bedding and bringing cooking equipment before he and his family moved in.
That said, the interior of the cave stretches around seven metres, with its ceiling rising a similar height in some areas, while in other sections, a person cannot stand upright.
In saying all of this, Sidiqi insists that he will not leave.
"Even if they destroy everything above ground, I'll live under it. This is my land, my father's land. My grandfather was born here over a century ago – before the existence of the occupation state. I won't leave the land of Palestine, even if they kill or jail me," Sidiqi shared.
Sidiqi highlighted that the family has appealed to the Red Cross for assistance, but, in the meantime, they cannot live without shelter, especially as the winter rains are coming, which makes the option of living in a cave preferable to sleeping out in the open – a choice imposed on them by Israel's illegal occupation and its routine demolition of Palestinian homes.
"The settlers want this land, and I am not just being steadfast in the name of defending my land; I am defending all the people of Aqraba," he said.
Aqraba, Khirbat al-Tawil and Yanun – stolen land
Over the years, Israel has conducted in Khirbat al-Tawil and the adjoining Yanun, both of which are administratively linked to Aqraba village. This has significantly altered the landmarks and features of the area, which, in the case of Khirbat al-Tawil, consists of dozens of inhabited hamlets, some of which are historic archaeological sites.
Khirbat al-Tawil contains around 10,000 dunams of farmland, planted with wheat and winter crops, and approximately 30,000 dunams of mountainous terrain used as grazing land for livestock.
Perhaps the most drastic change to the hamlet was the demolition of its only mosque, along with multiple houses and agricultural buildings. Israeli forces have also levelled other essential infrastructure, including roads, water, and electricity installations.
Out of over 144,000 dunams, which make up the total area of Aqraba, Yanun, and Khirbat al-Tawil combined, Israel has seized over 122,000 dunams, either through military directives or confiscation.
In light of these events, Rajia Humeida, 60, is determined not to leave the cave where she lives with her husband and eight other family members, east of Yatta city, south of Hebron.
Like Sidiqi, Rajia refuses to move because she is sure that settlers will take their land, which has been passed down through generations of her family.
In a conversation with Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, Rajia shared that their land is in Area C, which, under the 1993 Oslo Accords, is controlled by Israel in both civil and security matters.
Rajia added that her husband built a three-story house on the land about seven years ago, but Israeli bulldozers demolished it a year and a half later by court order, citing "construction without a permit."
As Rajia puts it, her family was left out in the open and forced to move into a nearby cave, where they have lived ever since.
Rajia said, "My father would use the cave to store grains and shelter livestock at night, but we built an enclosure outside it for us to live in. We have a house in Yatta, but the moment we leave this place, the settlers will grab it and set up a settlement outpost."
While saying this, Rajia admits that inside the cave, life for the family is extremely primitive, with no electricity, having to go to a nearby well for water, and staying warm by burning firewood they gather from the surrounding area.
"Life here is harsh — there are no services. For light, we depend on generators, which have been confiscated by the occupation army more than once. But however much they pressure us, we won’t give in to despair, and we will stay here," she said.
In response to the occupation authorities' demolition of homes, the head of the Palestinian Authority's Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, Muayyad Shaaban, stated: "The occupation authorities are deliberately creating an unstable life for over 400,000 Palestinians who live in Area C by demolishing their homes, preventing them from building new ones, and classifying Palestinian homes there as unlawful because they are located in military zones or areas designated as settlement land."
He explained that the goal is to compel Palestinian families to leave and move to areas administered by the Palestinian Authority (PA).
"Therefore, the [only] alternative available is to live in the caves," he added.
At present, Muayyad said the Commission is working on various ways to make the caves fit for habitation. For instance, they are treating the "cave walls on the inside by applying a layer of cement to seal any gaps, preventing them from becoming dens for snakes, and building a bathroom and kitchen, as well as installing doorways at the entrance of the caves for the protection of the residents."
Muayyad also mentioned that the Commission is providing the caves with "water tanks and solar panels, as the occupation authorities prevent these caves from being linked to the Palestinian electricity grid."
This is an edited translation from our Arabic edition. To read the original article click
Translated by Rose Chacko
This article is taken from our Arabic sister publication, Al-Araby Al Jadeed and mirrors the source's original editorial guidelines and reporting policies. Any requests for correction or comment will be forwarded to the original authors and editors
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