In Umm al-Khair, a village in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, nearly two dozen Bedouin women clad in traditional black attire have gathered in a modest hut. This group is currently engaged in a hunger strike, which has reached its sixth day, demanding the return of the body of Awdah Al Hathaleen, a respected local leader. Al Hathaleen was killed during a conflict that took place last week, allegedly involving an Israeli settler. The women insist that they will not end their protest until his remains are returned to their hometown for burial.
Witness accounts indicate that Awdah Al Hathaleen was shot by a radical Israeli settler named Yinon Levi amidst tensions that erupted when excavators began working on village land. The Israeli authorities have conditionally agreed to release his body, stipulating terms such as limiting funeral attendance and requiring the burial to occur at night in a nearby location. Villagers argue that these conditions are culturally inappropriate and amount to an infringement on their rights.
“We want him to be buried here in Umm al-Khair and have a respectable funeral without any conditions. What did we do to deserve this treatment? We did nothing,” stated his mother, Khadra Hathaleen, 65, as she joins other women aged between 15 and 70 in the hunger strike.
Context of Violence and Displacement
The region known as Masafer Yatta has faced ongoing violence, a situation highlighted in the Oscar-winning documentary “No Other Land,” which discusses the experiences of Palestinians living under Israeli military control and the impact of settler expansion in the area.
Awdah Al Hathaleen, an educator and political activist, contributed to the film and was a close ally of its Palestinian co-directors. The documentary illustrates life amidst the encroachment of Israeli settlements and highlights the frequent demolitions of Palestinian homes conducted under claims of illegal construction.
Confrontation and Aftermath
Al Hathaleen’s death has escalated tensions in Umm al-Khair, particularly after Israeli forces arrested 18 local men in the wake of his shooting. His sister-in-law, Sara Hathaleen, expressed profound fear regarding their vulnerability. “They come at 2 o’clock or 3 o’clock in the morning…We don’t know who will be next, or who they will take next,” she said.
Levi, the alleged shooter, was swiftly released from house arrest after a court determined there was insufficient evidence to link him directly to the fatal shot. Villagers maintain that he fired at Awdah during a confrontation that began when local youths protested against the digging on their land.
The Hunger Strike: A Call for Justice
The hunger strike represents a rare public demonstration for these Bedouin women, who typically grieve privately. It highlights their frustration over Al Hathaleen’s death and broader issues of settler violence and the struggle for land rights. Myassar Hathaleen, one of the participants, explained the dire conditions of their situation: “We’re striking because the world needs to wake up…We just want to live in justice, and in silence.”
Women involved in the hunger strike, including Awdah’s mother and widow, have begun to show signs of health distress due to their inability to eat. As they sit in solidarity, they continue to push for a proper burial for Awdah, firmly believing that the land of Umm al-Khair must be his final resting place. “The land of Umm al-Khair drinks from his blood,” declared Hanady Al Hathaleen, Awdah’s widow, insisting on honoring his legacy in their home village.
The women’s collective action not only seeks to address the immediate injustice they face but also calls for broader awareness of the plight of Palestinians living under the persistent threat of violence and displacement.
