Villages around Tubas + Jordan Valley + Al Aqaba + al Farsiya + Al Auja + Al Hamra and Humsa + Al Hadidiya + Al Jiftlik + Al Maleh + Bardala + Ein El Beida + Fasayil Fouqa + Fasayil Tahte + Firoush Beit Dejan + Kardala + Makhool + Marj Na’ga + Marj al Ghazal + Ras al Ahmer + Zbdat + Al Far’a camp + Ras al Far’a + Wadi al Far’a + Al Nassariya + Atoof + Beit Hassan + Ein Shibli + Tammun + Tayaisr

For the last month our TV screens and newspapers have been filled with reports of Israel’s massacre of the people of Gaza. The bloodshed and brutality have caused outrage across the world and calls for international actions to hold Israel to account are growing. Whilst this is going on, the people on the other side of Palestine continue their struggle in relative silence against the gradual ethnic cleansing of their land.

This week UK Customs and Excise have at last taken the first step in challenging the Israeli's illegal settlements by (a) recognising that they are mislabelling their produce to avoid paying tax to any European countries they export to and (b) proposing that the EU act to stop this practice. The news reports in the UK and Israeli press have spoken about illegal Israeli settlements, but have failed to explain the impact that these settlements have on the everyday lives of Palestinians and their hopes of establishing a viable state.

Makhool is situated just higher in the Valley than Al Hadidiya and like them their land is also surrounded by Israeli Military bases and very close to this small community is a training ground and firing range. The road, just 100m away from the homes, is Israeli controlled and busy with settler and military traffic. As a community who rely on grazing sheep, they face many problems from Israeli’s if their sheep wander onto the nearby road. ‘It causes us problems’, said Josef, who explained ‘if they are on the road, they are taken’.