The Israeli High Court of Justice has ordered authorities to provide a detailed explanation regarding the possible return of a displaced Palestinian Bedouin community in the southern Jordan Valley, nearly nine months after the residents left their homes amid settler violence. The conditional directive, issued Thursday, concerns Ras Ein al-Auja, where some 110 families—totaling over 1,000 people—have been unable to return to the area they have lived in for approximately 70 years.
The court’s order requests that the relevant authorities clarify why they should not take immediate steps to facilitate the community’s safe return. This includes imposing restrictions on Israeli access to the Bedouin residential area, dismantling illegal settler outposts established nearby, and ensuring the community’s protection both during and after their return.
The petition, filed in March 2025 by six residents alongside the Center for the Advancement of Peace Initiatives (CAPI), detailed a prolonged pattern of harassment. According to the petitioners, this includes interference with grazing lands, destruction of infrastructure, and theft of livestock, all reportedly connected to the growth of illegal settler outposts in the vicinity. Human rights monitors note an increase in outposts throughout the West Bank, with 166 established since the start of 2025 alone, contributing to a total of roughly 440 sites—including those undergoing or already granted retroactive legalization.
While the Israeli authorities concede a responsibility to protect the community under the military commander’s duty to maintain order in territories under belligerent occupation, they have expressed reluctance to deploy a permanent military presence in the area. They have raised concerns over proposed security arrangements involving civilian guards, citing a lack of control over these forces. Residents, in turn, fear renewed violence if soldiers withdraw.
The court underscored that this concern appears justified in light of previous hostilities. Supreme Court President Isaac Amit and Justices Dafna Barak-Erez and Yechiel Kasher, who issued the order following a hearing on Monday, emphasized the need for correction in light of the prolonged displacement. The authorities must respond with an affidavit by December 1, ahead of a further hearing scheduled for the first half of December.
The directive directs the state to address not only how it will enable the residents’ return but also whether Israeli entry to the community’s living area should be restricted to those whose presence is coordinated with the Bedouin residents. Authorities are also required to provide explanations regarding the removal of illegal outposts within the claimed living area and the demolition or closure of an unauthorized road nearby.
Civil rights organization Looking the Occupation in the Eye criticized the state’s handling of the case, accusing the military and police of delay and dishonesty throughout the legal process. The group characterized the petition as an effort to achieve justice for a community that has been dispossessed by settler violence.
The case follows earlier court interventions dating to February, when the High Court mandated assistance in coordinating a return to a specific part of the community territory and demanded reports on enforcement steps within 60 days. However, in May, the state maintained that return was feasible only through coordination with the military and rejected calls for a permanent security presence or restrictions on Israeli settler access.
The ongoing legal proceedings highlight the complex security, legal, and humanitarian issues surrounding settlement expansion and the protection of Palestinian communities in the West Bank.