Palestinians struggle to tend their olive crops as Israeli settlers and soldiers pose an ever-present threat to their security and livelihoods. Nablus:
It's 2.30pm and so far, so good. No soldiers, no settlers. The olive harvest began more than a week ago and this, October 17, is the first day the villagers of Awarta, just south of the West Bank town of Nablus, have been left alone to work on their trees.
With appetites satisfied after lunch, the tense calm is giving way to joviality. Ahmed, the 60-something head of the Awad family, is putting pink hair-clips in his donkey's mane, to the delight of his baby grand-daughter. Then the mobile phones start going.
It's 2.30pm and so far, so good. No soldiers, no settlers. The olive harvest began more than a week ago and this, October 17, is the first day the villagers of Awarta, just south of the West Bank town of Nablus, have been left alone to work on their trees.
With appetites satisfied after lunch, the tense calm is giving way to joviality. Ahmed, the 60-something head of the Awad family, is putting pink hair-clips in his donkey's mane, to the delight of his baby grand-daughter. Then the mobile phones start going.
The Abu Mahmoud family, harvesting about half a mile up the road, closer to the illegal Israeli settlement of Itamar, call to say they've spotted settlers coming down the hill. Normally the family would stay in the fields until 4pm, but now they're calling it a day, too scared of what might happen.
On October 15, settlers handcuffed and beat Badawe Awad while he was harvesting his crops in these very same fields. He said the settlers used the butts of their machine-guns to hit him around the head. They also stamped on his back, set their dog on him and kicked dirt into his mouth, nose, eyes and ears. His wife was shot in the back and leg on the same day.
On October 15, settlers handcuffed and beat Badawe Awad while he was harvesting his crops in these very same fields. He said the settlers used the butts of their machine-guns to hit him around the head. They also stamped on his back, set their dog on him and kicked dirt into his mouth, nose, eyes and ears. His wife was shot in the back and leg on the same day.