Khalet Makhul: The valley begins to turn green
Shahar and I arrived at 7:45 at Burhan’s. It was a dry, hot day, but we could see from the beginning of our descent into the valley that the landscape was starting to green. The difference was dramatic from my previous visit 12 days earlier, and rain was expected later that week. Still, as we walked up into the hills, Burhan and his brother, Ashraf, pointed down to the firing range and to the hills beyond, inside the ‘domain’ of Israeli settlers and army, noting where the grass was – quite literally – greener. Upon our return, I found myself picking up where I had left off the week before in playing games and making mischief with Burhan’s youngest. We fed the herd, and I could see the speed at which these covered hills of very expensive feed had already been reduced to much less impressive piles. Abu Halaf looked on, teased, and absorbed the playful abuse of the little girl. We all sat outdoors to enjoy breakfast and easy conversation, then Shahar and I made brief visits to each of the families in the community before getting on the road.
Khalet 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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