Following the devastating destruction of their homes, and many nights sleeping out in the open, or staying in other villages, the community of Makhul have now asserted their right to stay on their land!

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.

Four days later, on 20th September,a group of European diplomats accompanied NGO’s to the village, as they attempted to deliver aid to the families whose homes had been destroyed. They were physically attacked by the occupation forces, and the world’s media suddenly paid attention to this latest action by the Israeli state to ethnically cleanse Palestinians from the Jordan Valley.

In the intervening weeks the families were subject to constant surveillance by the occupation forces, preventing them from rebuilding their homes.They threatened the families that if they tried to rebuild their homes and animal shelters they would return and destroy them again.

During this period the men stayed on their land, sleeping out beneath the stars on the cold autumn nights, whilst the women and children took their animals and stayed wherever they could, with families in other villages.

But the community was steadfast and resilient. They didn’t give up. All the families have now rebuilt their homes and returned to their land, with their children and animals.

When Jordan Valley Solidarity visisted them on 7th November, we found 30 baby goats in the village, aswell as all the homes rebuilt. This shows the strenght and resilience of the communities living in the Jordan valley and their determination to stay on their land and to fight the Israelis policy of forcibly removing Palestinians from their land.

Makhuol community returns 2 copy