Israeli barrier blocks water and supplies to West Bank Bedouin village ahead of elections
Israeli forces have sealed off access to the Ras al-Ahmar Bedouin community in the Jordan Valley, cutting water and food supplies as a barrier is constructed.
Israeli military engineers are erecting a 20-kilometre barrier through the northern Jordan Valley, sealing off the Ras al-Ahmar Bedouin village and surrounding farms. The blockade, which began in mid-September, has stopped water deliveries for three days and forced residents to move supplies at night on donkeys to avoid detection. About 300 people, including 50 families who rely on 15,000 head of livestock, now face severe shortages of water, food, and medical care, with schoolchildren unable to attend classes.
Village council head Abdullah Bisharat reports the confiscation of a tractor and the detention of its driver while delivering aid. Residents accuse settlers of daily theft, vandalism and violence aimed at displacing them ahead of the October 27 Israeli elections, a claim echoed by Bedouin rights activists such as Hassan Mleihat. Experts say the barrier reflects a broader strategy to fragment Palestinian communities and cement Israeli control over the West Bank.
Why it matters
The siege threatens basic survival for a vulnerable Palestinian community and signals escalating pressure tactics before Israel's elections.
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