Umm al-Kheir - we have no hope, no future, we are suffocated and despairing

The purpose of today's shift was to visit Umm al-Kheir and meet with Eid al-Hadalin and his cousin Khalil, the head of the village, whose homes had been twice demolished in the last months, and to bring supplies to be distributed by him to those in need.

But first we drove along Route 60 to see which checkpoints were open/closed. There are already some Palestinian cars at the Meitar checkpoint. Few enter to work in Israel, as we have seen. Where, later.

 The Mitzpe Eshtamoa outpost, in front of the old Shima settlement is developing, growing and establishing itself. M says that this construction is carried out by Palestinian workers. For some reason they get entry permits. At the entrance to Samu’ the gate is open.

The entrance to Dahariya has been closed since October 7, like every entrance to a Palestinian settlement, which is adjacent to an Israeli settlement. Like this at the foot of the settlement Otniel across the road on the hill. There, cars are parked on both sides of the yellow gate, back-to-back it is called. This is  the way as goods and people are moved  from side to side.

In Karama the gate is closed.

At the entrance to Abda there is a new, closed gate. Cars back to back on both sides of it. At the Dura-al-Fawwar intersection, only the entrance to Dura is open.

The entrance to Hebron, which is at the foot of the Beit Hagai settlement, has also been closed for the same reason since October 7.

Qilqis junction is closed. At the entrance to Hebron there are many people walking, a long distance from side to side and crossing the road, including old people, disabled students. Cars as above. At the Sheep Junction, the checkpoint at the entrance to Hebron through the Hebron Stone Quarries is open.

From there we turned right to Route 317, to go through the Zif intersection and buy groceries for the people of Umm al-Kheir.

At the Zif junction the Yatta gate is closed. IDF vehicles are driving around. There were Palestinian press teams there and the IDF is checking who and what.

So, we shopped at the grocery store there, loaded up and drove to Umm al-Kheir. Also, on the way after the Zif intersection, many piles of dirt and stones along the road to block any way to go to Yatta. Only at the entrance to Khalet al-May is the yellow gate open.

Eid and Khalil and other people from the village are waiting for us in the beautiful social centre they established there with the help of donors from abroad. Eid is smiling, beautiful, his eyes light up as usual, but he says that inside he is completely sad and discouraged. After twice seeing the ruins of 11 houses of the family members. in storage bins.

"I don't know what will happen, so I'm not rebuilding the house. You know that on the night of the Iranian missiles I was in the US. I met with senators regarding the ruins and my wife and 4 daughters were in the shack. Everyone with us is exposed to danger and in Carmel everyone has shelters and protections. Do you think they came to invite the villagers to them?" A rhetorical question of course.

He shows me a white car on the path to the Carmel settlement. "Do you see? This is the new military security coordinator, Nave. Standing and watching us all the time, maybe he will also come to you soon to check who you are, as he does all the time (he didn't come during the meeting). He is very dedicated to his job," says Eid ironically, "even in Arabic there is an expression: 'a new broom makes a good broom'. He has recently installed 3 new hidden cameras all pointed at us in addition to what they have had for a long time. I told him that the cameras could damage the honour of our wives and he explains that it is for our benefit, if they come from Hamas, they will take over them and want to kill us all."

"So, it's good that there are cameras," Eid smiles a sad smile. "They are suffocating us from all sides. Almost every day, boys sent by Shimon Atiya from the new hilltop farm adjacent to their territory, come and cut the water pipe, which we legally received from Mekorot (the Israeli Water Company), or pour out the water we collect for the sheep. When they pour the water out, the rioters say that they are guarding the lands of Carmel.

"Who guards our lands?" Eid asks with a sad smile. "When the police come, they do nothing but say a few words just to note that they have come.

"I am discouraged," he says, "we have no hope or future when the state violates its laws. The DCO destroyed houses in spite of the ruling of the High Court. And now we are not allowed to graze our herds in our territory, the water pipes are constantly being broken. The criminals are not arrested, or punished, the settlers do as they please."

The whole situation which was difficult before has gotten worse since 7/10 and under the auspices of the prevailing atmosphere in Israel and with the backing of Smotrich and Ben Gvir the settlers are the masters of this No Men's Land. I was in the US Congress on our issue. There too they are  busy with the matter and our lawyer is helping us present the illegal actions of the Israeli government against the rulings of the High Court." (An attached video that reflects the behavior of the youth of the hills there as everyday practices with the water pipes).

"You see," says Eid, "even though the settlers broke the laws here, I don't start rebuilding my destroyed house because I don't know what will happen. We have no hope, no future, we are suffocated and desperate."