In the quiet village of Al-Minya, southeast of Bethlehem, local farmers watched their fields plowed by settlers on Monday evening, a move seen as a step towards seizing control of the land. Villagers reported that approximately 50 dunums of fertile land were prepared for settlement use, leaving residents increasingly concerned about the shrinking space available for agriculture and daily life.

Al-Minya, once a thriving community, now finds itself hemmed in on all sides. To the west, a network of settlement roads isolates the village, while the south is bordered by multiple outposts. To the east, waste disposal sites stretch across thousands of dunums, and to the north, a large solar energy installation supplies electricity to nearby settlements. Local authorities warn that the cumulative effect of these encroachments is to confine the village to barely one square kilometre, disrupting the livelihoods of its residents and transforming the area into a corridor for settlement expansion.

Daily pressures on the community are mounting. Villagers report frequent incursions by settlers and military forces, resulting in destruction of crops and orchards, and deliberate damage to vehicles and homes. The broader objective, as observed by the local council, appears to be the systematic clearance of residents from the area, paving the way for settlement growth. Al-Minya’s strategic location, separating a major settlement bloc from the Dead Sea, has made it a key target, with lands traditionally used by the village now designated for settlements, nature reserves, or military firing zones.