Living in the shadow of Israel's annexation plans
Israel's plans to annex the Jordan Valley may signal new, but not necessarily greener pastures, for the likes of Mohammed Bsharat.
The Palestinian shepherd fears it will be the end of his livelihood.
(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) 39-YEAR-OLD PALESTINIAN SHEPHERD MOHAMMED BSHARAT, SAYING:"If they annex the Jordan Valley, residents will suffer from a lot of problems. First of all, they will not be able to remain in the fields because the lands will be for settlers and maybe they will call the lands closed military areas."
Israel has pledged to extend its presence in the Jordan Valley, bringing over 30 percent of the West Bank under its sovereignty - land that Palestinians seek for a future state.
The move is in line with a peace plan announced by U.S. President Donald Trump in January - lauded a "deal of the century" by proponents, but rejected by Palestinians.
Cabinet discussions have stalled as Israel awaits a green light from Washington - casting 15,000 Palestinians into limbo, who live in small camps scattered in the area.
Many herd sheep on uninhabited hills and in rocky valleys, selling dairy products to nearby Palestinian towns.
Bsharat said that Bedouins and locals in the area have been suffering from Israeli restrictions for years.
(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) 39-YEAR-OLD PALESTINIAN SHEPHERD, MOHAMMED BSHARAT, SAYING:"We've lived in the Jordan Valley, in the Humsa area, for decades; livestock is our livelihood. Before the announcement of the deal, the occupation used to demolish homes, cut off the water, burn lands, the occupation army used to chase us. We suffer a lot from the occupation, especially during their military training."
Bsharat has no alternative source of income other than his herd.
He said he now feels unsafe in the Jordan Valley, exposed and far from areas under the Palestinian Authority.
