08:15 – Al-Farsiya

Upon arrival, we were immediately divided into shepherd escort teams and protective presence teams (staying in the residence with the families around the clock). Two stayed in Farisiya for protective presence. The weather was pleasant, cool, and the women prepared dinner to break the Ramadan fast. After resting with the children at home, they milked the sheep, made cheese and waited for the shepherds to return.

Gilad, the settler, came down with his herd and landed on a private chickpea field. The field belongs to a Palestinian resident of Tubas, who does not often arrive to see the damage and is unable to complain to the police in real time. In this way, the settlers take control of the grain they grow and their lands. This ongoing activity occurs without interruption and its clear purpose is to exhaust the locals and accelerate the ethnic cleansing of the Valley from the natives, who, as a reminder, have been living here for over a 100 years.

In the area of ​​the valleys and Hamra known as Al-Makassar, three female companions went out with N.’s herd to graze. The herd grazed quietly while walking and at a certain point they crossed a moat that was currently being dug along the entire valley (parallel to the Alon Road). This moat separates the eastern area of ​​the valley from the western one and allows control over the movement of Palestinians from Nablus and Tubas. They can only move through checkpoints like Hamra. Suddenly, a military force arrived, separated the shepherd from the herd and detained them, claiming that they were not allowed to be there. Why? Because the mote is a border (!).  They were held for about an hour until we were able to complain to the army and they were released.

But peace did not return. At that time, we received a call from Ein Hilweh that settlers were roaming among the houses and were about to enter them. The escorts went there and found two children from the settlement of Maskiyot (aged 10, 15) who had wandered around and returned to their home. Already at this age, they are not afraid and roam around like the masters of the land.

Another shepherd called from El-Malih and reported that he was being attacked by the Hilltop Youth, who had come out of Benzi’s outpost. The attackers drove away the cows and apparently wanted to kill the young shepherd. He ran away and hid, and his father managed to escape with the cows towards the mountains. We all arrived at the scene. Two of us filmed what was happening and the others allowed the herd to go up the mountain, and then we brought the shepherd who had fled to his home.

At the same time, three companions collected testimonies from Ein Hilweh herders about the harassment over the past month in order to file a complaint with the military authorities and later complain to the court about the prevention of grazing.

In the evening, arriving to settle down for the night, we still had to take a shepherd’s child to the hospital in Tubas. The rest of the night passed quietly and we left the valley the next day, Sunday, at 6:00 AM.