Khalet a-Daba’ – violent settlers destroy and steal

12.12.2023 South Mount Hebron

Michal (photographing and reporting) and Muhammad.

The shift was dedicated to visiting Khalet a-Daba’, to ask how they were after the pogrom of settlers wearing uniforms, on Friday 12.8.23. Also, to bring them some clothing. On the way there we saw that at Mitzpeh Asael they had set up a new guard post overlooking the road, built and equipped and of course manned. We went to At-Tuwani to pick up Nasser Adra, who wanted to give us more information about what is happening in the area: 

There is not much schooling because of the situation, but all the same he used the minibus which we helped him to buy, and on which is specifically written that it is intended for transporting children to school. A few days ago, after being watched by the Havat Maon hooligans on his trips back and forth, the army and the administration came and inspected the vehicle very carefully. After the inspection, they left the vehicle to them even though it was found unfit for travel by the authorities. Apparently, they were convinced that it was very necessary and is driven only on the internal roads. While the tests were being done, the family members tried to take pictures of the soldier and he threatened to break their phones if they did so.  

And he says that in Imnaizel soldiers and the military security coordinator of the settlement confiscated a donkey when a man was ploughing it in a field. This too is probably a danger to the security of the state.

We arrived in Khalet a-Daba’ following a shocking report and photographs of destruction and ruination which the settlers carried out on Friday 8.12.23. Raya Yaron sent the report which I shared on my Facebook. What stands out now in the small village are the texts written on walls, in Arabic and English, in a very beautiful script, and also paintings of children of the local children, and also by Jaber with a pickaxe. 

Jaber and his brother Saleh told us about what happened, and it seems that they were both beaten, but Saleh was also arrested and released only at night. 

The settlers came dressed in army uniforms, but by their shoes the Palestinians knew that they were settlers. They said that they were looking for weapons. They broke the gate and all the cupboards in the classrooms and threw out the contents. 

Jaber says, please let them search for weapons, but why destroy and loot tools, a generator, money and jewellery, and break televisions. What does this have to do with looking for weapons? 

The officer who arrived was polite. But the well-known redhead, the settler, was very aggressive and violent. They entered the neighbor's house, while the owners were not there, they confiscated a coat that they thought was military and something like a coat. There were NIS 6,000 in the coat pocket. He asked to take out the money but they took the coat with the money. They also took gold, jewellery belonging to the owner of the house from a drawer which they overturned. They took tools, even the box opener. Again, he asks with a lot of contempt along with anger, what does this have to do with weapons? 

After they left and they and the family had tidied up a bit and restored order, they filled the outer walls of the houses with beautifully written texts in Arabic and English: "We will not surrender. We will win or we will die", "I continue my inheritance from my ancestors and pass it on to my children." "With the strength of my arm I will protect my grandmother's inheritance for my children", "Do not take the olive branch from my hand". On another wall: "This will be the sixth time my house is destroyed."
Saleh looks misberable, Jaber is full of anger and also expresses a lot of contempt for the stupidity that accompanies this violence.

We will continue to follow and be in touch with them.
 

On the way back to At-Tuwani, Nasser shows us a tiny plot of land on the side of the road at the foot of the Ma'on farm.  A partially plowed plot. A few days ago soldiers came and ordered the plower to stop his work and go home. According to them, the plot is too close to Maon. Nasser also requests that they open all the barriers that have been placed at the entrances of the settlements to the west along road 317 - to Susiya, to Imnaizel, to Karmil, to Yatta and to Samu’. In practice, the army blocks the road with stones and piles of dirt which the Palestinians again open because they have to enter their homes. 

He tells about a settler named Issachar Mann, who has a bulldozer that the settlers use to close the blockades which the Palestinians open.  

We also went to Susiya. The blockade still exists and there is a long distance which people have to walk to their homes. A truck with vegetables stands on the other side of the pile of dirt and rocks. Women came to buy and then have to carry the shopping home afterwards. They now lead life in the "back to back" method.

We visited Azam and Wadha, our friends. Azam also talks about the confiscation of the donkey endangering Israel's security, and about a similar incident that happened to them. Fortunately for the poor man, soldiers saw the Jewish terrorists and shouted at them to let the man go, and not take his donkey. In the last two months, soldiers and settlers in uniform came to them at least four times, early in the morning or at night. Just walking around. Once they came to their neighbor who was working in the field and said to him: "You know that in the end we will take this land from you because it is ours". He also showed me pictures of many confiscated cars.

The lords of the land do not stop.