As part of the ongoing escalation of Israeli aggression, the town of Tammun, south of Tubas, continues to suffer from repeated attacks. In a new and particularly violent act, the Israeli occupation Army set fire to commercial establishment. This incident is yet another physical testimony of Israel’s persistent policy of violence and destruction against the Palestinian people, which includes home raids, demolitions, unjustified arrests, and even assassinations.
On such note, the Israeli Army deliberately set fire to a supermarket owned by Mrs. Hiyam Bani Odeh, managed by her husband, Mr. Mo’taz Bani Odeh, in partnership with his brother and father. The supermarket, which had been in operation since 2019, was the primary source of income for three families comprising ten individuals. The arson was carried out by placing burning tires at the shop’s entrance, and simultaneously they (the Israeli Army) denied access to the Palestinian civil defense team in order to put the fire out, without providing any justification to such action. This deliberate criminal act resulted in a serious and extensive financial losses estimated at 280,000 shekels, depriving the family of their main livelihood and constituting an act of collective punishment against the family.
The burned-down supermarket was the sole source of income for Mrs. Hiyam’s five-member family. It provided essential supplies to local residents, and with its destruction, not only did the family lose its primary income, but also the community likewise lost a much dependent on location to obtain their daily supplies and needs. The incident not only inflicted severe financial hardship on the family but also deepened their humanitarian suffering, leaving them feeling hopeless and devastated, especially that the supermarket location was a rental and not a private ownership of the family, which deemed the financial loss of even greater significance.
Mrs. Hiyam’s supermarket pre and after the fire,
Beyond the immediate economic devastation, the arson placed Mrs. Hiyam’s family into a severe financial crisis. However, in spite of this hardship, the family demonstrated resilience and determination to stand their grounds. Consequently, three months after the incident, Mrs. Hiyam and her family managed to reopen the store, even though it was on a much smaller scale. They managed to do so by buying the merchandise in long-term debts and schedule the payments with other workers and business in order to repair the damages, all of which was possible with the help and generous and collective support the received from the local community.
This act of solidarity provided a glimmer of hope for Mrs. Hiyam and her family, in spite of the accumulating financial burdens they had to endure and the long-term challenge standing before them. This attack highlights the broader injustice and violence that the Palestinian endures from the Israeli occupation, and even underlines their discriminatory policies, which urgently calls for international protection to safeguard the Palestinian right to live in dignity and the peace they deserve.
About Tammun,
Tammun is located north of Tubas and is bordered to the east by the village of Atuf and the Beqaa Valley, to the south by Wadi Al-Far’a village, and to the west by Al-Far’a Camp. The town built up area stands on 6000 Dunums, whereas its land covers a total area of 97000 Dunums. Tammun is home to approximately 16,000 residents, with a gender distribution of 49% female and 51% male.
Prepared as part of the project:
“Mapping and Diagnosing Palestinian Rural Women’s Livelihood and Economic Empowerment in Area “C”
Implemented by: The Applied Research Institute-Jerusalem (ARIJ)
Prepared by:
The Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem
