In the West Bank, the war of attrition against the Palestinian Bedouins
Audio 02:31
Fadwa Abdelghani comes out of his tent in the Bedouin village of Humsah al-Baqia, which has become a hotspot in the struggle for the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
JAAFAR ASHTIYEH AFP
By: Alice Froussard Follow
6 mins
It is a small hamlet north of the Jordan Valley in the occupied West Bank.
Humsa al-Bqai'a, targeted relentlessly since November, was destroyed for the seventh time last week by the Israeli army, despite numerous visits from European diplomats.
Publicity
From our correspondent in Ramallah,
Of Humsa, there is hardly anything left.
On the ground, cogs of bulldozers, tarpaulins yellowed by dust, a fridge on the ground and an armchair without its cushions.
Everything else was demolished, confiscated, moved by the Israeli army more than a week ago, Wednesday July 7, for the seventh time since November.
The Bedouin community that lives there, about 70 people including 36 children, has nowhere else to go. So she stays. Under a makeshift tent rebuilt the day after the destruction, a few hundred meters away, Aisha Abu al-Kbash, 58, sits cross-legged. “
When they came, we thought they were just going to demolish like they did the other times, we didn't expect this destruction! This is the first demolition where they put all our things outside, where they took everything, we had nothing left. And it was sunny, the children were hot, it was scorching, it was 40-45 degrees. We put them under the tree, but we were afraid for the children. All day long, when they demolished, we were all outside and it was so hot. "
Seventeen people live in this small tent, without water, without electricity, without privacy.
There are a few boxes here and there, a stove, a wooden baby bed where Manar, 8 months old, sleeps.
“
When they demolished the first time, she was only 3 days old,
” says Aisha.
Fear of forced displacement
For the shepherds who live there, Humsa al-Baqai'a is a large expanse of arid land where they have lived and raised their sheep for 40 years.
But for the Israeli army, it is "the shooting zone 903", a military zone, where it is forbidden to build, unless you have a permit, which is almost impossible to obtain.
So Jeeps pass, soldiers often confiscate vehicles or equipment, or they demolish.
“
We don't know where we can go, but I don't think we can go back there.
Me, I just want to live here, normally, that they leave us alone.
The situation is very complicated, very, we don't know what to do,
”laments Aisha Abu al-Kbash.
A 4x4 arrives.
They are humanitarians, with bags of clothes and water, who have come to psychologically support the community.
“
They know the importance of mental health.
Aisha told me that she needed to talk, to express her feelings after this demolition, because it was very difficult
”, indicates Noor Donbok, of Doctors of the World.
The fear is still there, that of forced displacement - which would constitute a violation of international law - to Ein Shibli, a village 15 km away, where the Israeli army has already put their belongings.
Abdel Ghani al-Awawdeh, 52 years old, graying beard, who receives in his sheep pen, refuses: “There is
no place there.
And the people who live there already have problems with the settlers.
"
He has no hope, neither in the Palestinian Authority, nor in the international community.
“The diplomats came just before the demolition,
” he said
, “what changed
?
"
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Palestinian territories
Israel