Palestinian families, on Thursday evening 3rd July, began leaving their homes in the Arab al-Mleihat Bedouin community northwest of Jericho city in the eastern West Bank, due to the continued attacks, harassment, and theft of sheep by settlers and the Israeli army, as well as continuous assaults by the Zionist mafia that supports the settlers, the occupation army, and the police in all forms of intimidation, beatings, and assaults against the Palestinian population.

Rashid Khdeiri of Jordan Valley solidarity stated:

“The rights of the Bedouins and the indigenous landowners to remain have been completely denied. More than 40 families living in the Arab al-Mleihat community have started dismantling their tents and leaving as a result of the provocative practices and repeated attacks by settlers and the Israeli army.”

He said all the families are under threat of displacement, with the number of individuals reaching around 500, due to a significant presence of settlers inside and around the community.

He warned that “this threatens to erase the existence of the Arab al-Mleihat village and paves the way for settlement construction,” and to prevent Palestinians from returning to their homes and land.

He also noted that there is a school in the village, and this constitutes a violation of children’s right to education, aiming to deprive generations and children of knowledge. It represents a violation of all international laws and a new policy to annex the Jordan Valley, which is a real danger. He said: “This raises serious concerns for Palestinians and other villages and communities if no international action is taken to stop the occupation and institutions from halting settlers’ assaults.”