On 26th January 2013 a large group of international activists, Palestinian students, members of Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI) and members of the Palestinian Cultural Enlightenment Forum ‘Tanweer visited Al Maleh village to plant olive trees and show support for the local community. Around twenty olive trees were planted.

The tree planting was intended as an act of resistance to show that the people of Al Maleh will not comply with the Israeli military’s policy of home demolitions aimed at the ethnic cleansing of the area.

Around 1.00pm, the Israeli army blocked the road to Al Maleh in both directions. Traffic was allowed to move from around 2.00pm, but had to pass through a temporary army roadblock (one Jeep, around five soldiers and two sets of stinger strips) and all passengers had to show ID documents. This roadblock was still in place when the last of the activists left at around 8.00pm.

On 17th January Israeli Occupation Forces carried out a demolition order, destroying 55 structures, including 25 homes, in Al Maleh leaving the residents with no shelter. After the demolitions the IOF declared a closed military zone preventing access to international activists and journalists. Tents donated by the International Committee of the Red Cross were confiscated by the army.

The following week residents of Al Maleh started to put up their tents again. However on Thursday 24th January the army came and knocked down a further two homes in the village and two animal sheds. Soldiers told people from Al Maleh that if they rebuilt their homes they would return and demolish them again.

Activists met an elderly resident of the village, Nazira Al Mohammed, whose home was demolished by the Israeli army on the 24th January. During the demolition she fell whilst trying to avoid an army bulldozer, causing her to break her arm.

Nazira told JVS activists that she had received medical attention for the injury, but it was obviously still causing her pain and was preventing her from completing basic tasks. A member of EAPPI stated that she had been encouraging Medecins Sans Frontiers to visit the village.