Simra
Khirbet Simra (also: Khirbet Simri, Arabic: خِرْبِة سِمْرِي/سِمْرَة) 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; since the 1980s much of the surrounding area has been designated Firing Zone 918, constraining planning, services and access.[1] Human-rights documentation describes Simra/Simri as a branch of the nearby Qawawis community that has faced coercive conditions and, at times, abandonment by residents.[2] GeographySimra/Simri is part of the dispersed cave-dwelling and herding landscape east of Yatta that comprises Masafer Yatta. Humanitarian profiles describe similar communities as relying on rain-fed cisterns, agricultural tracks between hamlets, and seasonal grazing areas.[1] History Simra, like the other Masafer Yatta hamlets, developed as a permanent settlement around caves used for dwelling, storage, and animal shelters. Surveys from the British Mandate period include Simra as one of the Yatta extensions, and archaeological traces such as cisterns and terraces attest to continuous use. Despite its small size, the village is consistently remembered by residents as part of the organic network of hamlets in southern Mount Hebron.[3] Families in Simra/Simri historically practiced semi-sedentary pastoralism and dryland cultivation, with caves and stone rooms used for housing and storage—patterns attested across the South Hebron Hills.[1] According to B’Tselem, residents of the Khirbet Simri community (linked to Qawawis) were ultimately forced to abandon homes amid a coercive environment of violence and restrictions.[2] Legal–administrative context Following the 1967 war, the area came under Israeli occupation and was later categorized as Area C under the Oslo Accords. Large parts of Masafer Yatta were declared Firing Zone 918 in the 1980s, restricting construction and service connections and exposing communities to demolitions and risk of forcible transfer. In May 2022, the Supreme Court of Israel (HCJ 413/13, consolidated) ruled there was no legal bar to evacuations for training in parts of Masafer Yatta, drawing criticism from UN experts and legal scholars.[1][4][5] Access and services
Population and livelihoodsSimra/Simri's families rely primarily on small-ruminant herding (goats and sheep), seasonal grazing and limited dryland plots, reflecting broader Masafer Yatta patterns under Area C restrictions.[1] B’Tselem reports that residents of the Simri community associated with Qawawis have, at times, left the site entirely due to ongoing pressures.[2] Notable incidents
Distinction from similarly named localities
See alsoExternal links
References
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