Umm Al Khaeir photos

A Palestinian flag defiantly flies over the ruins of one of the homes that was destroyed.

Some of the kids in the village. The building behind the barbed wire ahead of them belongs to the settlers.

The ruins of another destroyed home.

The shack is where the woman and children who lived in the home above must now live.

Bilal showing one of the destroyed homes. Notice the Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection sticker on it, showing it was built with assistance from the EU.

Close-up of the sticker. It did not save the home, and in fact according to Bilal the commander said it and others like it were especially targeted and will continue to be,

Another house built with the aid of the EU, which recently received a demolition order also.

A military helicopter does a fly-over the land of the villagers.

According to Bilal, the pilot sometimes land in some of the Bedouin camps, their propellers causing dirt and rocks and dust to fly in the faces of the people.

Another military helicopter flies over the village. 

We heard a loud "BOOM" noise later, and learned there is a military training ground nearby.

One of the boys in the village. He wanted to see my camera, and I let him hold it and take the photo below.

Photo taken by the boy. It shows the living conditions of the people in his village.

Why do the settlers want to destroy even this?

Some of the houses of the settlers.

A home in the village.

Animal pen. Soldiers have destroyed these also.

This bakery that was used to make bread for the whole village also was destroyed by the military.

What possible threat could this pose to anyone? What strategic or moral objective can be accomplished by destroying a communal kitchen?

Bilal points to some of the homes of the settlers. Some have already been built, others are still being constructed.

Unlike Bilal and other villagers who need to work hard to stay in their homes, the settlers are given subsidies to move in and steal the land of the people of Umm Al Khaeir.

More of the village. Despite the apparent poverty of these people, for the settlers and military the fact they live in substandard conditions is not enough. Complete displacement, in stages, seems to be their objective.

Homes of the settlers can be seen, divided from the village by barbed wire mounted on poles (1).

Homes of the settlers can be seen, divided from the village by barbed wire mounted on poles (2).

Well guarded, the settlers continue to look down on their Palestinian neighbours whose homes and land they are taking from them.