Mufaqara - continued harassment by the settelrs

The purpose of the shift: a visit to Al-Mufaqara and Susiya

Route 317:

Al-Mufaqara lies south of this road, between Abigail (to the west) and Havat-Ma'on (to the east), two Illegal outposts. The residents of Al-Mufaqara suffer, the entire time , from harassment by the settlers of Abigail.

In Al-Mufaqara we met Fadel Hamamda, who told us that settlers from Abigail came, with their herd, to  a barley field which  had already ripened (we received videos from the day of the event and wanted to hear the description of what happened). The story is mainly about a settler named Yinon (not Yinon from Meitarim Farm). Fadel said that Yinon came with his flock on to Fadel’s lands and for four days the flock  ate all the barley which had been  intended to feed Fadel's herd. At the beginning of the event, the settler threatened Fadel with a gun, but when he saw that Abdu, Fadel's son, was taking pictures, the gun was lowered.  The security guard of Abigail whose name is Buddy, arrived at the scene but did nothing. On the first day of the invasion, the army arrived after an hour, with one jeep, they spoke to Fadel and left after a short time.

Fadel declares repeatedly, each time we visit him, that he and his family will not leave this place which  is their home. We wished them Ramadan Kareem.

Susiya: We visited Azzam and Wadha. Azzam has recently been working in Ashdod, Ofakim, and Ein Hashlosha, wherever the contractor needs him . Now he is at home on vacation for Ramadan, and intends to continue working during Ramadan. He claims that fasting makes him feel better, both mentally and physically. Azzam also tells about the entry of herds from the settlement Susiya onto his land  and here too the army cooperates with them.

This is the approach: not to interfere, and in practice to allow the settlers to oppress their Palestinian neighbours.

While talking, we noticed a military jeep stopping near their house. Two soldiers, masked and armed, got out of it, and after a few minutes, they returned to the jeep and drove off. Three foreign (non-Israeli) volunteers who were in the village chased them until they left the village. Two soldiers and the volunteers who followed them returned to the village, and headed to the area behind Nasser Nawaja’s (from B’Tselem) house. Azzam explained that the storm destroyed the shelter of a tent that served as a small greenhouse. The owner of the greenhouse, Nawaja’,  installed a new sheet, this aroused the army's suspicion, so the soldiers were sent. The children of the village experience the ugly face of the occupation every day! It is difficult to see this happening. B’Tselem is investigating.

Here too we wished the people Ramadan Kareem.

Masked soldiers in the villages of Masafer Yatta: Nasser Nawaja’ says that recently quite a few masked soldiers have been seen there.