Palestinian family completely isolated during Ramadan

By Salam Abu Sharar​​​​​​​

HEBRON, Palestine (AA) – Surrounded by settler homes, Reema Abu Aisha, 54, feels isolated in Tel Rumeida in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron.

Abu Aisha’s family lives in the only Arab home in the neighborhood since the confiscation of Palestinian property by Israeli settlers that started in 1984.

Living with her husband, uncle and a teenage son, the Palestinian mother is adamant about staying in her home, refusing to leave or sell it to settlement associations.

Whenever Abu Aisha sees to leave or return to her home, she has to show up her identity card to Israeli soldiers at military checkpoints nearby.
“No one can visit us at our home,” Abu Aisha, a mother of eight, told Anadolu Agency on Tuesday.

“Israeli soldiers have a list of our names; my husband, uncle, son and myself, but this list does not include the names of my other seven sons and daughters and their children.”

Although the Muslims’ fasting month of Ramadan is famous for social gatherings and activities, Abu Aisha can’t invite her sons and daughters for iftar (fast-breaking meal) during the holy month.

“We are completely socially isolated here,” she lamented. “We can’t invite our relatives to the Iftar at our home.”

The Palestinian woman recalled inviting her married sons, daughters and grandchildren to her home, but they were not allowed by Israeli soldiers.

“The soldiers told them they could have their Iftar on the street as they can’t pass through to the home,” Abu Aisha said. “I took the food from the home to the street, and we took our Iftar together on the street.”

- Nightmare

Abu Aisha says their life is like a nightmare, particularly during the Ramadan month, because of the Israeli restrictions.

“We can’t buy all that we need during the holy month at once and take it normally to our home because our car is not allowed to cross the checkpoint,” she said.

In the afternoons, when her husband returns back to their home carrying the daily needs, he is stopped and searched by Israeli soldiers.

“Everything is searched, even the bread, vegetables, salt and sugar,” she said.

“I always feel oppressed,” the Palestinian mother said bitterly.

- Settler attacks

In the evening, family members can’t go out for prayers or socializing due to fears of being attacked by Israeli settlers.

“All of my sons and daughters are exposed to settler assaults,” Abu Aisha said. “None of my kids has lived a normal childhood like any other child in the world.”

Her 13-year-old son, Hitham Abu Aisha, never leaves or returns to his home from school alone. He is always accompanied by his father to avoid any settler attack.

The family has filed several complaints against Israeli settlers, but nothing happened.

“There’s a closet full of complaints that were ignored by the Israeli police,” Abu Aisha said.

Abu Aisha recalls losing two babies during labor because Israeli soldiers refused to allow the ambulance to reach her home.

“I walked from my home to the hospital on foot, although I was bleeding. When I reached the hospital, doctors told me that my baby had died. This happened 14 years ago,” a sorrowful Abu Aisha said.

“They are trying to kill our life, forcing us to leave our home to give the settlers the chance to occupy it,” she said.

“In 2002, Israeli settlers shot some birds I was breeding at my home. They killed them,” she recalled.

Israel exercises direct control over 20% of Hebron, known as the H2 area, which is home to some 33,000 Palestinians and a few hundred Israeli settlers.

According to the Hebron Protocol of 1997, the H1 area is controlled by the Palestinian Authority. All security arrangements and travel permits for residents are coordinated between the Palestinian Authority and Israel via military administration of the West Bank.

The Jewish settlers have their own governing municipal body, the Committee of the Jewish Community of Hebron.