At 5am on Monday 16 September 2013 over 100 Israeli Army soldiers, jeeps and 3 bulldozers came to the village of Makhul, near Al Hadidiya, home to 50 families, and demolished the whole village in less than 3 hours.

The Israeli Army arrived early in the morning and closed down the area leading to Makhu l, and then started the demolish of the village, creating wanton destruction and terrorism. 82 people live in Makhul, which is home to 50 families, with the latest addition – a 2 day old baby who was also present during the demolitions. Villagers were given no time to get their personal effects and those retrieved by soldiers in an apparent act of sudden humanity were then promptly broken by the same soldiers. They had not been warned in advance that the demolitions would take place.

The village of Makhul is in the heart o the Jordan Valley, deemed Area C as a result of the now failed Oslo Accords. This means the area is under full Israeli occupation, civil and military rule. In 2009 the Army issued the villagers with demolition orders under the pretense of security. The village has been on the same land since the days of Ottoman empire.

The demolition orders were challenged by the villagers and the orders were stayed by an Israeli Judge who acknowledged the villagers rightful ownership of the land. 20 days before these recent demolitions the villagers learned a new judge, a settler, had removed the Order, thereby allowing the Army to undertake their terrorism. Refusing to be removed from their ancestral lands, 7 days later the villagers appealed to the Israeli Court in Salem, occupied Palestine, where a Judge reaffirmed their right to the land. However, despite an Israeli Court agreeing the land belongs to the villagers the Army arrived this morning and razed to the ground the entire village.

Since the demolitions the occupation forces have been carrying out surveillance in the area, watching those whose homes were demolished, and preventing them from rebuilding their homes. When the Palestinian Red Crescent attempted to bring tents to them, they were stopped at Tayasir checkpoint and the tents were confiscated.

After the Oslo Accords, the Jordan Valley area was designated Area C. This allows the Army free reign in the area. Villages are regularly demolished and villagers terrorised. Large swathes of the land are also designated completely out of bounds for Palestinians either due to illegal settlements, in the name of ‘security’ or for Army military exercises, when they are referred to as the ‘Firing Zone’.