We went to meet the families of two of the sons of the head of the Zoba community, somewhat isolated from the rest of the community due to the rocky terrain, which can be difficult to walk through, let alone drive a vehicle around. On this particular day, as though just to demonstrate how harsh the conditions of the Jordan Valley can be, heavy rain started suddenly, meaning that we were soaked by the time we arrived. I remember that at around the same time last year, rains like these caused widespread devastation.

We arrived at the top of a hill to a small wooden hut covered in plastic sheeting, which looks barely suitable to house all 8 of its occupants, and I dreaded to think what would happen to it if the rains became as heavy as they were last year. Even so, the family have gone to great effort to make it their home, marking out a front garden with different colours of slate. We are invited into a bare room save for a few mattresses and offered tea, while the women introduce themselves as the wives of Tariq and Hamadi, Zoba’s sons.

Tariq’s wife starts by telling us a little of her story. Originally, she is from Bela, near Jenin, where she farmed chickens and grew olives and lemons. However, her 8 dunums of land was seized by Israel and her home demolished. Four and a half years ago she moved to this area but that home was demolished 6 months later. Their whole family then went to live in Rahat, Israel, returning 5 months ago. She explained that the family who own this land live in Tamoun and that they had reached an agreement that she could live there without paying any rent.

She told us that the army give them many problems. Two weeks ago several jeeps came to the house to tell them that their children were playing too noisily, though due to the remoteness of their home this could not possibly have been heard from a distance. The soldiers questioned them because their ID cards were from Jenin and told them to go back there.

Like so many others in the Jordan Valley, the family must buy their water in water tanks from Mekarot, the Israeli water company. For 2 days of water they must pay between 100-150 shekels, and as they have no transport of their own they must enlist help from someone in the area to get it. Until 2 days ago they had no electricity, but they are now linked up to the council supply thanks to the Jordan Valley Solidarity group. Even so, it only works for 3 hours a night and costs 200 shekels a month for just one lamp in their room. To compare, we are told that in Tubas to run a large house at all hours costs about 250 shekels a month.

Hamadi’s wife told us that in February she had a son who became very ill when he was just 13 days old. His doctor told her that he must be treated in a hospital in Israel as it was the only one which had the necessary equipment to do so. However, despite receiving permission to enter from the authorities, they were refused at the border and he died as a consequence.

I asked them why they chose to come here. Tariq’s wife explained that before they came they thought they had work here, and that they could live rent-free. Besides, she says, to live anywhere else in the conditions they do is shameful. They cannot afford for their children to go to school, and as their father refuses to work in a settlement they have no money. At this point, she points towards a tiny bundled-up baby in the corner. His name is ‘prisoner’, born within Israel but denied an Israeli ID, he now cannot get a Palestinian one either. He has been denied any form of legal existence, and will find himself imprisoned, unable to pass checkpoints. This story is sadly symbolic – it mirrors the plight of all Palestinians, prisoners in their own land.