Israeli authorities razed the West Bank village of Khirbet al-Makhoul, located in the Jordan Valley, on September 16, 2013. The destruction caused nearly all of its 120 residents to relocate to the nearby village of Tannoun.
Israeli authorities arrived two more times over the past month to destroy makeshift structures used to protect the herds from the beating sun. Many of the animals died of dehydration. Despite Israeli orders and unrelenting pressure, 20 villagers stayed behind to rebuild the village. Israeli activists arrived earlier this week for a solidarity visit.
Photos by: Keren Manor, Ryan Rodrick Beiler, Oren Ziv / Activestills.org
Burhan Basharat stands inside a makeshift animal shelter that was build after his house and farm were demolished in West Bank village of Khirbet al-Makhoul, Jordan Valley, October 9, 2013.
Doves fly over the rubble of the West Bank village of Khirbet al-Makhoul, Jordan Valley, October 9, 2013.
A Palestinian man whose house was destroyed organizes his tent in the West Bank village of Khirbet al-Makhoul, Jordan Valley, October 7, 2013.
Palestinians, aided by Israeli solidarity activists, clear the remains of demolished shelters in the destroyed West Bank village of Khirbet al-Makhoul, Jordan Valley, October 11, 2013.
A Palestinian man starts a fire to bake bread in the destroyed West Bank village of Khirbet al-Makhoul, Jordan Valley, October 7, 2013.
Activists help in rebuilding the destroyed West Bank village of Khirbet al-Makhoul, during a solidarity visit. Jordan Valley, October 11, 2013.
An Israeli military plane flies over sheep standing in the rubble of the West Bank village of Khirbet al-Makhoul, Jordan Valley, October 7, 2013.
A Palestinian shepherd walk with his sheep in the destroyed West Bank village of Khirbet al-Makhoul, Jordan Valley, October 9, 2013.
A Palestinian farmers fill water tanks in the destroyed West Bank village of Khirbet al-Makhoul, Jordan Valley, October 9, 2013.
Burhan cleans his ground in the destroyed West Bank village of Khirbet al-Makhoul, Jordan Valley, October 9, 2013.
Burhan Basharat, father of eight, sits in the remains of his destroyed home in West Bank village of Khirbet al-Makhoul, Jordan Valley, October 9, 2013.
Burhan Basharat feeds a young lamb after his mother died as a result of dehydration, after the demolition of the village, Jordan Valley, October 9, 2013.
Burhan Basharat watch TV between the rubbles of his destroyed home in the West Bank village of Khirbet al-Makhoul, Jordan Valley, October 9, 2013.
A palestinian farmers lights a fire early in the morning, Khirbet al-Makhoul, Jordan Valley, October 9, 2013.
A Palestinian man prays in the destroyed West Bank village of Khirbet al-Makhoul, Jordan valley, October 9, 2013.
Our team has been devastated by the horrific events of this latest war – the atrocities committed by Hamas in Israel and the massive retaliatory Israeli attacks on Gaza. Our hearts are with all the people and communities facing violence.
We are in an extraordinarily dangerous era in Israel-Palestine. The bloodshed unleashed by these events has reached extreme levels of brutality and threatens to engulf the entire region. Hamas’ murderous assault in southern Israel has devastated and shocked the country to its core. Israel’s retaliatory bombing of Gaza is wreaking destruction on the already besieged strip and killing a ballooning number of civilians. Emboldened settlers in the West Bank, backed by the army, are seizing the opportunity to escalate their attacks on Palestinians.
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