On the morning of Wednesday 6th April the Israeli Occupational Force descended on the villages of Bardala and Ein el Beida, ordering farmers to take their tractors to the nearby illegal colony (settlement) of Mehola.

In a slow moving process, farmers were forced to wait around in the sun, before being called forward and asked to produce identity cards and ownership papers. They were then photographed next to their vehicles and allowed to leave.

Around 25 tractors were inspected by the Border Police, which claimed the operation was an annual occurrence- but villagers told us this was the first such instance. Ten tractors were kept by the Border Police.

This followed a similar action in the Abel al Ajaaj area of Aljiflik just 8 days before on Tuesday 29th March.