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MASAFER YATTA SOLIDARITY ALLIANCE

MASAFER YATTA SOLIDARITY ALLIANCE WAS FOUNDED IN 2025, BORNE OUT OF OUR COMMITMENT TO PALESTINIAN RESISTANCE.
OUR ROLE HERE IS NOT THAT OF SAVIOURS BUT THAT OF SUPPORTERS OF THE
PALESTINIAN STRUGGLE. WE STAND AGAINST ZIONISIM AND
PROVIDE SUPPORT WHERE ITS NEEDED THE MOST

ABOUT MYSA

Who Are We?: Masafer Yatta Solidarity Alliance (MYSA) was formed with the hope of redefining international solidarity work in Palestine through a community-centred approach. As a group of individuals with prior experience in on-the-ground initiatives, we recognised a critical gap in existing models—specifically, the need for greater alignment with the priorities and agency of local communities. As a group of activists who arrived here with an established organisation, red flags were raised instantly. Once we began to engage more deeply with the local community, it quickly became apparent that many of the practices of the international organisations here were deemed to be in-congruent with the values and needs of the community. Consequently, we made the decision to distance ourselves from the other organisation and pursue a path that emphasised working with the local community in ways that they themselves deemed to be effective, important and valuable. Several of us departed from the previous organisation simultaneously, sharing similar motivations, and collectively, along with the elected local councils, we established our own Palestinian-led activist group. Since then, we have developed strong partnerships with Mohammad, the local mayor, as well as the heads of the surrounding regions of Susiya and Masafer Yatta. Together, we have committed to restoring local control over activism efforts, ensuring that international support is coordinated by Palestinians rather than by external stakeholders. This shift is essential, as the existing dynamics arose from the community’s need for activists while lacking the resources and capacity to recruit them effectively. Through our collaboration with the three local councils, we have offered our support to realise this shared vision by managing recruitment, outreach, legal aid, and logistical support for international activists. Once these activists arrive, they will be hosted and supported by the local Palestinian activist community. Additionally, we are committed to assisting the local community in fundraising efforts to provide support for families facing home demolitions, forced displacement, and other challenges stemming from the actions of settlers and the broader apartheid system.
Where Do We Work?: We are based in Masafer Yatta, South of Hebron. We work within a cluster of 19 villages and hamlets. Since 1967, Masafer Yatta has been under israeli occupation. The hamlet cluster is part of “Area C”, meaning that Israel has full military and civil control over it. Much of area has been denominated Firing Zone 918 by the israeli army- while this sounds scary, it serves more as tactic used to accelerate the displacement of the people of this community.
What Do We Do?: The majority of our work involves the following: 1. Documenting and deterring human rights abuses through non-violent protective presence. We capture photographs and videos, ensuring that human rights violations and harassment by Israeli forces, settlers and the police are recorded and forwarded on to human rights lawyers that we work with. We also offer presence in families’ homes that are at risk of being targeted by settlers or military personnel. 2. Establishing an emergency fund to support urgent needs, including legal aid, hardship alleviation and community-directed initiatives. 3. Accompanying children on their journeys to school and back, ensuring their safety as they navigate areas affected by conflict. 4. Raising awareness of threats to livelihood faced by the population here. Our efforts extend to villages facing demolition threats and farming communities that are experiencing disruptions, such as the destruction of water pipes and shepherds facing encroachment of grazing land as well as harassment and ecocide.
How Do We Differ From Other Groups Currently On The Ground?
What Does It Mean To Be Palestinian Lead And Why Is This Important?: For us, this means that everything we do is done solely at the request of the Palestinian community. This includes the village council, which is made up of democratically elected community members who connect us with local families who may need our assistance and direct us on where to go and when. To us, it is important to listen to Palestinians because this is a struggle they have been living with their entire lives, so they know best what work is needed and how to keep us functioning as safely as possible in a place that is inherently dangerous due to the occupation.

WORKING WITH MYSA

How Can I Get Involved?: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut non est nec orci ultricies fringilla. Nam ultrices sem in odio scelerisque, sed mollis magna tincidunt.
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Is It Safe?: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut non est nec orci ultricies fringilla. Nam ultrices sem in odio scelerisque, sed mollis magna tincidunt.
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I Can't Be There On The Ground, Can I Still Help?: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut non est nec orci ultricies fringilla. Nam ultrices sem in odio scelerisque, sed mollis magna tincidunt.