Protective Presence at Farisiya Hamayir, Samra, Makhoul and Hadidiya
we began our morning at Farisiya Hamayir, bringing a laptop to a new student. We made the acquaintance of the mother the other children, enjoyed fresh bread from the outdoor oven dipped in olive oil and za’atar, delicious! We let them know we’d be back every week…
We continued to Samra. The family told us that for about a week some of the town of Tubas (about 50.000 residents) was under full curfew. Soldiers filled the area on vehicles and on foot. They took over three houses close to the family home. They soldiers told the families to come back in a week’s time. Snipers stood on the roof and whoever peeped out of a window was threatened. The soldiers also took over a supermarket belonging to a family in the street, its owners kicked out. They sat at the entrance, eating and drinking the shop’s wares. They entered homes, arresting people for hours. A curfew was announced in the area for a week except for two hours a day for shopping. Schools and shops were closed.
As a cleaning-up company, we cleaned up and prepared the cheese-making room of the house owner who was due back at the Palestinian Jordan Velley.
At noon we drove to Hadidiya to meet T. who underwent an operation this week to care for his back which had hurt after a horrendous two-and-a-half year’s administrative detention. We helped pay for this operation.
Hadidiya is now surrounded by a fence erected by the colonists of the new outpost growing right there. The family’s grazing ground has been entirely taken over. The flock is fed only by dry bought feed (like nearly the whole Valley communities). The colonists have turned the way closest to them into the passage from the outpost to the main road. So, we sat with the family and watched the colonists’ cars coming and going, leaving clouds of dust behind.
Later we reached Khalet Makhoul. Today’s project was arranging the residents’ clothes. A huge quantity of clothes piles turned into an organized place that waits for a closet that might arrive…
We got home late as usual, tired and satisfied.
Location Description
Al-Farisiya / 'Ein a-sakut
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Al-Farisiya / 'Ein a-sakutA community of shepherds in the Jordan Valley opposite the settlement of "Rotem". Making a living from grazing sheep, the residents are exposed to harassment, abuse and theft from settlers who come to them from outposts and settlements in the area, and their grazing area is shrinking due to settler takeovers, fire zones and declared nature reserves.Machsom Watch companies participate in shepherd escort activities and provide a 24/7 protective presence, and there is continuous and warm contact with the community.
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Al-Hadidiyah
See all reports for this placeKhalet Makhul
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Khalet Makhul
A small settlement of a shepherd community located on the way to the settlement of Hemdat. Two nearby outposts make life miserable for the Palestinians, who make a living from grazing, and the army backs the settlers. As a result, the possible grazing areas are getting smaller.
The local children attend school in the settlement of Ein Al-Beida. Long lines of 3 hours sometimes stretch out at the Hamra and Tayasir checkpoints leading to the town of Tubas, making it difficult to get water, supplies, and sell the cheese, milk, and meat that the residents produce for their living.
Following a deadly attack at the Tayasir checkpoint in February 2025, the checkpoint was closed completely for the time being.
(Updated March 2025)
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Khirbet Samrah
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