OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)
A few kilometers away from the occupied city of Jerusalem, the Palestinian village of Beit Iksa lives a harsh reality as a result of a continuous Israeli siege that affects the details of daily life, starting from freedom of movement and reaching basic sources of livelihood.
The village, located northwest of Jerusalem, has become over the past years one of the most isolated Palestinian communities due to the occupation military checkpoints, the separation wall, and the settlements surrounding it.
In the pastoral communities adjacent to the village, citizen Fahd Abu Dahouk said that the residents face repeated attacks targeting the elements of their survival on the land, pointing out that water lines have been subjected to vandalism and shepherds have been prevented from reaching the pastures they depended on for long decades.
Abu Dahouk added, “Our life has become a series of daily harassments. We used to graze our sheep in these hills freely, but today reaching them has become fraught with dangers or completely forbidden.”
Restrictions on shepherds and sources of income
A number of families in Beit Iksa depend on sheep herding as a main source of income, but the closure of large areas of pastoral lands forced breeders to rely on purchased fodder, which raised production costs and burdened rural families.
The residents confirm that the occupation’s restriction of access to agricultural lands and pastures has directly reflected on their economic conditions, in light of limited job opportunities and the difficulty of moving to neighboring Palestinian cities.
During field tours in the area, residents reported the presence of groups of armed settlers in the vicinity of residential and pastoral communities, while the locals say that the Israeli occupation forces frequently storm the area, which increases the state of tension and fear among the residents.
An isolated village with one entrance
Beit Iksa is considered one of the most isolated Palestinian villages in Jerusalem governorate. According to data from the village council and human rights reports, its population is about 2,000 people, and it cannot be accessed except through one Israeli military checkpoint that controls the movement of entry and exit from the village. Residents’ testimonies indicate that inspection procedures and repeated closures affect the access of students, employees, and patients to their destinations.
Human rights organizations had documented years ago the impact of the Israeli military checkpoint on daily life in the village, including the movement of teachers, students, and basic services.
Reports also indicated that the restrictions imposed on the village have increased during recent years, leading to more isolation from Jerusalem and the West Bank.
A large gap between the village area and its actual use
The historical area of Beit Iksa is about 14,221 dunums, but Palestinians cannot build or expand urbanistically except in an area estimated at about 650 dunums only, according to data from the village council. Local officials believe that these restrictions limit the natural growth of the population and exacerbate the housing crisis inside the village.
The head of the village council said in previous statements to local media that the village lost large parts of its lands as a result of Israeli confiscations, the establishment of settlements, and bypass roads, which besieged both urban and agricultural expansion.
Memory of the place and ancient grazing paths
The elderly in Beit Iksa recall the traditional lifestyle that depended on seasonal movement between the areas of Jerusalem and the Jordan Valley in search of pastures and warmth during the winter season. However, the transformations witnessed by the region during the past decades, and the accompanying restrictions on movement, largely ended this way of life.
Abu Dahouk said that families that used to depend on grazing and seasonal movement were forced to settle in limited-area zones, adding that “the land for us is not just a source of livelihood, but part of our identity and existence.”
Insistence on staying
Despite the difficult conditions, residents of Beit Iksa confirm their insistence on staying in their village. Abu Dahouk summarizes this stance by saying, “We may die here, but we will not leave. We will remain in our land no matter the challenges.”
Beit Iksa remains a model of the conditions experienced by several Palestinian villages in the vicinity of Jerusalem, where challenges of movement and access to services overlap with Israeli restrictions imposed on land use and urban expansion, in a scene that leaves direct impacts on the economic and social life of the residents.