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Isfay al-Tahta
Palestinian hamlet in the South Hebron Hills (Masafer Yatta) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Isfay al-Tahta (Arabic: اصفي التحتا, also transliterated Isfey al-Tahta / Isfay al-Tehta) 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, service connections and access to land.[1] It is distinct from the nearby, higher-lying hamlet of Isfay al-Fauqa.
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Geography
Isfay al-Tahta stands at about 635 metres above sea level at approximately 31.399354°N 35.186613°E, in the arid uplands east of Yatta.[2] It is one of several paired localities in the South Hebron Hills (taḥta = lower, fawqa = upper), with Isfay al-Fauqa situated nearby on higher ground. The hamlet forms part of the dispersed cave-dwelling and herding landscape that characterizes Masafer Yatta.[1]
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History
In the 14th century Isfay was called al-Safiyah (الصافية) and it is mentioned, alongside neighboring Jinba, as a stop on the Gaza-Hebron-al-Karak road.[3]
Isfay and its caves appear on the map of the 1870s Survey of Western Palestine
The broader Masafer Yatta region (Arabic masāfer, “travelling”) has long supported semi-sedentary pastoralism adapted to caves and cistern-based water storage; families in Isfay al-Tahta maintain herding livelihoods and seasonal use of rangelands consistent with this pattern.[1]
Isfay is a hamlet of Masafer Yatta where families traditionally resided in caves alongside stone animal pens and cultivated terraces. Though not always listed in every historical survey due to its small size, the village appears in several demographic and geographic studies from the late Ottoman and Mandate periods. Oral history and archaeological remains confirm its permanence as part of the Yatta hinterland.[4]
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Legal–administrative context
Following the 1967 war, the area came under Israeli occupation and was later categorized as Area C under the Oslo Accords. In the 1980s, large parts of Masafer Yatta were declared Firing Zone 918, restricting civilian construction, service connections and access to land, and placing residents at risk of forcible transfer.[1]
Access and services
- Road access: Access is by unpaved agricultural tracks linking neighboring hamlets; humanitarian sources note 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 installations rather than grid connections.[1]
- Planning and structures: A community profile lists Isfey at-Tahta among Area C localities in the Hebron district; information gathered notes a resident community of roughly 25 families with mixed building typologies (tents, tin shacks, stone rooms).[5]
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Population and livelihoods
While detailed census figures for the hamlet are limited, field profiles indicate around 25 families residing in Isfay al-Tahta.[5] Livelihoods are based on small-ruminant herding (goats and sheep), seasonal grazing and limited dryland plots, in line with broader Masafer Yatta patterns.[1]
Notable incidents
- 30 October 2023: UN OCHA reported settlers broke into the Isfey al-Tahta herding community and set fire to a donor-funded residential structure; the hamlet lies inside Firing Zone 918.[6]
See also
External links
References
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