In the hills of the northern Jordan Valley, one Palestinian family is facing the threat of being displaced from their land. On September 20, the Israeli army issued them a final eviction order — threatening to destroy their tents, farming shelters, animals, and everything they depend on for survival.
This family is the last to remain in their community. Others have already been forced to leave in recent years by Israeli colonisers, who confiscated or destroyed their homes and belongings. Their struggle shows how army actions and settler violence combine to push Palestinians from their land.
Palestinian families’ daily life under threat
The family makes a living from shepherding. With more than 200 sheep and goats, their livelihood depends on access to open grazing. Today, this way of life is nearly impossible. Settlers attack shepherds, block grazing land, and steal animals. To keep their herds alive, the family must now buy fodder, which is costly and reduces the quality of the products they sell.
Two weeks ago, settlers poisoned the family’s water supply. Like all Palestinians in the Jordan Valley, they are not connected to the water network and depend on cisterns. Without safe water, their health and their animals’ survival are in danger. They also live without electricity, relying only on solar panels for minimal power.
In recent weeks, the army has raided the land and their home several times. Soldiers ordered demolitions of shelters, claiming the area is a “military zone.” Family members have been injured multiple times during these raids.
Meanwhile, settlers are expanding, with new outposts being built nearby and existing settlements growing closer. This increases the pressure on the family to leave.
Background on Jordan Valley
The northern Jordan Valley lies in Area C, which makes up over 60% of the occupied West Bank and remains under full Israeli military control. Israel imposes severe restrictions on Palestinians living there on building, farming, and access to basic services. The army often declares Palestinian areas as “firing zones” or “closed military zones,” using these designations to demolish homes, stop grazing, and force families to move. In practice, this clears space for settlements while displacing Palestinians.
For decades, Israel has uprooted entire communities across the Jordan Valley under these policies. Where once there were villages with families, schools, and farmland, only scattered households remain.
What can you do?
Contact your governments and demand they put pressure on Israel to stop its ethnic cleansing campaign in the Jordan Valley and elsewhere. They must:
1 Cancel the eviction order against the families immediately.
2 Stop settler violence such as poisoning, theft, intimidation, and ensure protection of Palestinian civilians as required under international law.
3 End the use of “military zones” as a pretext for displacement
4 Provide access to basic rights: water, electricity, education, and security.International communities, media, and civil society — it’s time to raise awareness and take action.
This is not only about one family. It is part of a larger effort to remove Palestinians from the Jordan Valley and Area C of the West Bank. This family now stands almost alone, holding on to their land and way of life. If they are displaced, another piece of Palestinian presence in the Jordan Valley will be erased.
Their story must be told and shared. The world needs to see what is happening and act before yet another community disappears.