There are only two families at Hamam al Maleh. You already know this from previous reports. We already feel at home there. There are nearly no family members left there. Most of them are elsewhere with the flock, coming to the Hamam once in a while to keep their hold of the place.  Sumud. A part of the second family left with the flock, only three persons were left to keep the place.

We visited these families. We stayed for a long, interesting talk with one of the local women. Listening to them was fascinating. Hearing the power behind the words, understanding the situation, the faith and ability to go on maintaining these human stance. She is the model of a leader. In the meantime, she prepares us a rich meal in spite of the Ramadan fast.

Going back to the first house, we found it empty. Empty of inhabitants and of nearly all property…

We drove to Samara. There was a morning clash there with the ATV boys and the army. I am searching a short and are presentative name. They are gradually represented as menial work employees for the army-police-government.

Three women soldiers represent the army here. Uniform-arms-gungho-ignorance, facial helmet covering everything except one’s eyes. They receive their orders on the phone and try to follow them, so they came to one Palestinian community and are looking for the Palestinian they decided to arrest. Not finding him, they threatened his wife. Our network has been stormy. He has been chased for days now.

While we were in Samara, an ATV with the present colonist arrived, with this week’s’ novelty: there is a dog sitting in every ATV. Or two dogs.

One of the Palestinians arrested this morning was brought to an army base in the Palestinian Jordan Valley. He sat outside the base for house, shackled, blindfolded. Not interrogated, not spoken to. Nothing. They released him a few hours later.

We visited the local residents to celebrate his release, and then the same women-soldiers described earlier appeared, with the colonist, as a single unit. They stopped near us on the way. Local residents faced the soldiers and a discussion ensued.  Fascinating. They were silent. We heard their senior reporting to their commander that they did not find the wanted man at home which was why they were here. Perhaps he is hiding here.  In short, as they kept silent and tried to check one of the residents’ ID, he being the wanted man perhaps, and as we – the volunteers – explain to them that they are on the wrong side of history, we left, without the soldiers’ control. They turned about face and left.

This is how it continues all day and night. An unfinished story.

One of the brothers decided he’s had enough. He is leaving. He has a very large flock with no way to feed it outside grazing. Grazing is prohibited and the feed he purchases is looted-destroyed by the thugs. He is desperate. We tried to convince him that we are actually demanded to change the situation and make the colonists leave. To enable Palestinians to go on living there. This is one of the more powerful localities, holding onto to the area. Their leaving is the fort’s collapse. As the judge was supposed to say.