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Current situation of Al Hama community

Demography & Forced displacement – Al Hama is a Palestinian community in the north of the Jordan Valley that dates back well before 1967. 20 Palestinian families still live there until now, forming a community of about 300 people. 

Before 1967, the community hosted more than 60 families. Some of the families were expelled in 1967 and flew to Tubas camp, Ein el Beida village or Jordan. Several other families left throughout the years due to the coercive measures implemented by the Israeli occupation forces and settler harassment. The last departure occurred in 2016 when the Israeli army destroyed the house of Abu Nudal family, which now lives in Area A.  

Socio-economic situation and resources of the community – Most of the inhabitants of Al Hama live from herding sheep, goats and cows. They produce cheese and sell it to the West Bank markets. The community also relies on agricultural activity. They grow mainly plants that can survive during the winter such as wheat and chickpeas due to strict water restrictions imposed by Israel. 

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Indeed, like many other communities in the Jordan Valley, farmers in Al Hama suffer from water apartheid policies. They are not allowed to have water wells nor to be connected to the water grid that supplies Israeli colonies. Therefore, Jordan Valley inhabitants have to buy water tanks to fulfil their needs. However, four natural spring waters are located within the land of the community. One is owned and used by Al Fiqh family, providing water to at least ten farmers who grow olive trees, vegetables, dates and zaatar. As most of the owners of the three other water springs have been forced to leave the community for Area A, these springs lack renovation and therefore fail to fulfil the community’s water needs. 

While Al Hama still lack connection to an electric grid, most of the families own solar panels. Only two dirt roads allow entering and exiting the community, which makes it difficult to access houses in the winter as the roads turn into mud. 

Israeli apartheid and de facto annexation practices prohibit Palestinian communities in the Jordan Valley from construction, including the erection of schools and kindergartens. Therefore, the 40 children living in Al Hama have to walk eight kilometers every day to reach the schools in the nearby villages of Ein El Beida and Kardala, which is especially hard in the summer and winter. 

Proximity with illegal Israeli colonies – Mehola illegal colony has been settled near Al Hama community. Founded in 1968, it is one of the first Israeli colonies in the West Bank. It relies on agribusiness and controls huge fields in the area.  

In 2018, a new illegal outpost called Suhail has been implanted near Al Hama. Its settlers are trying to control all the fields around the community, preventing the shepherds to take their animals to the mountain and using violence against Al Hama inhabitants. They are also using drones to surveil the Palestinian community. Supported by the Jewish National Fund (JNF) and the settlement regional council of Aravot HaYarden, Suhail outpost receives help from settler volunteers to carry out its activities against Al Hama inhabitants. 

Israeli policies in the North of the Jordan Valley since 2018

Since few years, a new policy emanating from settler organizations and regional councils aims to strengthen settler’s ability to maintain a cattle breading activity. While colonies’ core activity has historically been agriculture, herding settlers are a new phenomenon that emerges in the Jordan Valley. This strategy aims to confiscate more land from Palestinians. Indeed, as opposed to farmer settlers, herding settlers have to leave the boundaries of their colonies and bring their cattle to graze in Palestinian lands. While the agricultural colony is more limited to the land it has succeeded to confiscate in the first place, the herding outpost needs more land for its livestock and therefore has a greater capacity to cause trouble to Palestinian shepherds. These new herding settlers receive training from a Study Center near Mehola colony, which teaches them pastoralism and how to take control of Palestinian land. The JNF and the settlement regional councils provide these new settlers with all the material, resources and protection needed to successfully sustain their outposts. 

In this context, four outposts have been created in the North of the Jordan Valley since 2018. These new illegal outposts, along with Mehola and Roatem colonies, confiscated three natural spring waters during the past years: Al Sakot, Ain El Helweh and Al Khader. While these spring waters have been used by Palestinians for generations, they are now totally controlled by settlers, who prevent Palestinians from using this water for farming and herding. Illegal colonies turned these water springs into tourism and recreational areas. 

As a result, while more land is being confiscated and prevented from being used by Palestinian shepherds, the North of the Jordan Valley suffers from further dire water constraints. 

Land Units Us project: bringing back Palestinian families to Area C to protect strategic land

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In reaction to these new worrying developments, the Jordan Valley Solidarity (JVS) organization started to work on the Land Units Us project in Al Hama community. The goal of this project is to bring back families from Area A to Al Hama community as a means to protect this land. 

Indeed, Al Hama’s strategic value makes it a key site to protect. First, its natural spring waters are the last ones in the North of the Jordan Valley that have not been confiscated by Israel yet. Second, the size, location and agricultural resources of the land are other elements that confer a strategic value to Al Hama. Indeed, the land that is currently protected by the Land Units Us project covers about 60 dunums. Moreover, while most of the Palestinian families who were located close to road 90 have been uprooted, Al Hama remains one of the last communities adjacent to the highway, with pieces of land on both sides of the road. Finally, Al Hama land has many dates and olive trees that are more than 30 years old, which prohibit their destruction under general Israeli law. 

From May 2021 until now, several steps have been achieved by Jordan Valley Solidarity in order to protect this strategic land and reinstall Palestinian families. 

  • Research on the legal status of the land: With the help of law experts, Jordan Valley Solidarity was able to determine that the Israeli occupation authorities consider this land as a natural reserve area and an archaeological site. Under the natural reserve area status, farmers are not allowed to grow new species on the land. As the status of this land makes it legally easy for Israeli occupation forces to uproot the community, the families of Al Hama are currently at risk of forced displacement. Consequently, JVS documented the presence of cultivation in Al Hama in order to prove that the land should be considered as agricultural area. Furthermore, the species that are already cultivated in Al Hama have been documented to prevent the Israeli occupation forces from restraining their cultivation in the future. 
  • Agreement on renting the land: The available land in Al Hama is owned by Abu Nudal family, who left the area in 2016 for Area A due to the dire constraints imposed by the Israeli occupation. JVS reached an agreement with this family in order to rent the land for several years. 
  • Installation of facilities: JVS built a tent to host a family and brought all the materials needed, including furniture and cooking equipment. 
  • Support the return of a Palestinian family: In August 2021, Abu Husein family moved to the new facilities in Al Hama. The father, Abu Husein, comes from a shepherd family that used to live in Area C, near Al Hama. He came back to this land with his wife and their three children.  
  • Restoration of the spring waters: JVS started the process of restoring the water resources of the community by cleaning one of the natural springs and one of the pools that collect its water.  
  • Building protection: JVS built a fence around parts of the land, in the location where settlers from Suhail and Mehola used to enter the area. 
  • Creating food and economic sustainability: JVS supported the creation of agricultural activity for Abu Husein family to be able to live from this land. Two water pipelines have been installed to sustain the cultivation of date trees and 6000 zaatar plants. Moreover, the family and JVS started to rehabilitate the date trees, as they had been abandoned since the departure of their owners six years ago. In addition, JVS recently acquired a solar panel to fulfill the energy needs of Abu Husein family. 
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Most importantly, JVS engaged in the process of creating a network of support around the Land Units Us project. Several Palestinian organizations are involved in spreading awareness among West Bank Palestinians about this project in Al Hama community. Indeed, protecting land by bringing back Palestinian families to Area C is a great example of a new kind of resistance that must be spread outside of the Jordan Valley, especially among the Palestinian youth. With the support of Palestinian organizations such as Land Defence Coalition and Badil, about 500 people – Palestinians from the West Bank, 1948 Palestinians and internationals – visited the Land Units Us project and received explanations about this new strategy to protect land and water resources. In addition, this network of support managed to mobilize volunteers to support the project both financially and through participating in agricultural and building activities. However, further support from more international and Palestinian organizations is needed to strengthen the project. 

One of the key aspects of the Land Units Us project is to provide an example of a new strategy of resistance that should be furthered in Area C. Indeed, while the current resistance in the Jordan Valley is mainly focusing on strengthening the steadfastness of Palestinian families that are already living in Area C, we believe that more families should be brought back to protect strategic lands. If implemented at a larger scale, this strategy could counter the demographic consequences of the Israeli apartheid policies and practices that seek to forcibly displace Palestinians from Area C to Area A and B. Consequently, there is a need for international and Palestinian organizations, as well as the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Agriculture, to take the lead in creating opportunities for families that were forcibly displaced to return and protect the Jordan Valley water, agricultural and herding resources and potential.

Challenges imposed by Israeli apartheid policies and practices

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On 27 October 2021, Israeli occupation authorities issued a demolition order to the Abu Husein family’s residential tent and some structures. Within the requested 96 hours, JVS was able to gather the necessary documents to prove that the land is owned and rented by Palestinian families and to bring them to the Israeli Court. The case is still pending. This demolition order threatens the ability of Abu Husein family to stay on the land and puts the whole project at risk.  

Furthermore, the harassment practices implemented by the Israeli occupation forces make it difficult to work in Al Hama community. Bringing agricultural and building materials is a challenge as this equipment is constantly at risk of confiscation by the Israeli occupation forces. As an example, many Palestinians from the Jordan Valley are not willing to bring their tractors and machines to work in the area out of fear of seizure by the Israeli army. 

An additional challenge to the Land Units Us project is the harassment from the nearby Israeli illegal outpost and colonies and their strong interest in capturing the area. Indeed, settlers come regularly to Al Hama to advise Palestinians that they are coveting the community’s water resources. Indeed, since the beginning of 2022, settlers from Mekhola came to claim that they are planning to build a pipeline from the water springs to their colony. They also sometimes force their way into Al Hama lands to swim in the springs of the community, as they consider these as “holy water” that would have been given to them by God. 

If this area is strategic for Palestinians, it is as well for Israel. Mekorot Israeli water company makes regular visits to Al Hama to check and control how the community is using the water springs there, making sure that the inhabitants comply with the Israeli apartheid policies that prevent Palestinians from installing pumping machines and renovating the old water wells. Consequently, as this area is known for its valuable water and land resources, it is at further risk of confiscation by Israeli settlers and occupation forces.

The future of Land Unites Us project and Al Hama community

The most important work to be achieved in Al Hama is the renovation of the natural spring waters, as they have the potential to provide both drinkable and agricultural water to the whole community. Furthermore, the renovation and protection of these water resources are key to preventing their confiscation by the Israeli occupation forces or Israeli settlers. Additional water in Al Hama would also help the community to increase its agricultural activities. Furthermore, JVS aims to build pipelines to connect the water springs to the homes of Al Hama inhabitants. 

Moreover, the JVS has the project to plant grape trees in Al Hama community. In addition to the necessary income provided by their cultivation, these trees would be used as a base for the construction of a common shelter that the community would use as a collective and recreational place, providing the families with a shared shadowed space to enjoy nature and have meals together. This structure will also provide the space to build a playground for Al Hama children. 

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More olive trees are to be planted in the area secured by the Land Units Us project to support Abu Husein family. In addition, this family participates in the creation of a women and youth cooperative that is gathering people from neighboring villages. This cooperative will allow local farmers and artisans to sell their products in the West Bank and international markets, whose access is currently far from their reach. While women from the Jordan Valley will come to help harvest their zaatar and date trees, the cooperative will facilitate the selling of Abu Husein family production.

Finally, part of the land of the community will be used to create a cultural center that will enable Al Hama families to host an agricultural tourism activity. Moreover, this common space will allow more Palestinian and international visitors to come to Al Hama and to be taught about this strategy developed by the Land Units Us project. Indeed, spreading awareness among the youth about this new form of resistance is key to strengthening the ability of Palestinians to stay steadfast in front of the Israeli apartheid.