Susiya - the settlers are with uniforms and weapons, and it is never clear if they are really soldiers or not.

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Observers: 
Daphna (reporting) and Muhammad (photographing); Translator: Natanya
May-8-2024
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Morning
סוסיא - דפנה עם עזאם
שעב של בוטום - פגישה עם חליל ואחת המתנדבות מארה"ב שמלוות את הרועים

Meitar checkpoing in the morning, the traffic is still light, empty parking lots. Since the war, workers are still not allowed to work in the country.

From Route 60 we moved on to 317. We passed by the abandoned village of Zanuta, whose inhabitants were expelled. The court has ruled that they can return to the village and the army should take care of their safety and it should happen quietly and peacefully... It is not yet clear what the time period is for the implementation, nor is it certain that the residents will return, after they have already settled in other places, not to mention their fear of the abuses of the settlers.

In the fields, on the way, you see herds and shepherds, because in this area there are fewer settlers.

Abu Safi, who also lived in the area and was evicted from his property, is still in hospital, in a bad condition. This eviction damaged his physical and mental health.

We arrived at Azzam who lives in Susiya. He cannot go to work in Israel because of the blockade and has no source of income since the beginning of the war. Azzam, and the village of Susiya, are surrounded on all sides by settlers and new observation posts, which have been multiplying since the war.

On the one hand there are Bavel and Malka, a couple who raise sheep in an illegal outpost, who settled there about two months before the war. On the other hand, there is Amishav, a legal settlement, which illegally builds sheds for animals outside its boundaries.

On the other hand, there is Gadi Shem Tov, who prevents the villagers from going to the roads, the fields, the waterholes and their territories. And on the other side, the Susiya settlement, with their vineyards, and settlers who invade the Palestinian fields with their cows and sheep and destroy the crops of the villagers.

About a month ago, young men, Roy and Yehuda Abergil, threatened Azzam, who was in his field, with a knife. There was an argument between them, and the confrontation ended without his being harmed. The second time, when it happened, Azzam called the police. When the police arrived, the older boys ran away and the younger ones remained.

The police caught the settler with the knife, but Azzam doesn't know if he was arrested/punished. (apparently not).

The settlers walk around the whole area, with uniforms and weapons, threatening and harassing the villagers and it is never clear if they are really soldiers or not.

Azzam is a charming man who, despite all the suffering and difficulties, is optimistic and hopes for the best. When we visited him, his daughters and grandchildren were also visiting and everyone was, for a change, in a good mood...

We continued on our way and turned to one of the fields, where there was Khalil, from Sha'ab al Butum with 2 female volunteers from the USA, who accompany the shepherds, into the few areas where they can still graze their sheep. This usually deters settlers from harassing and abusing the Palestinians.

The volunteers live at At-Tuwani. They have an apartment there and they try to guard the shepherds who are threatened by the settlers.