In the early afternoon of Monday, 1 September 2025, two settlers were grazing a herd of cattle, on private Palestinian land in the Qa’un Plain farming area, south of Bardalah. The two had come from the direction of the settlement outpost of Havat Amiel, which was established in December 2024 about one kilometer northwest of the village. The settlers brought their animals into about 20 dunams (1 dunam = 0.1 hectares) of onion fields, harvested fields with hay left over for flocks to feed on, and fields with irrigation systems. The cattle destroyed crops and irrigation equipment.
Palestinian farmers who were at the site at the time, including Muhammad Suaftah, 49, shouted at the settlers and tried to drive the cows out of their fields. The settlers refused to leave, and tried to drive the farmers away with shouting, threats, and shoving. A Canadian television crew present at the scene tried to stand between the settlers and the farmers to prevent the situation from escalating. After some time, two more settlers arrived on an ATV and restrained the first two. The four settlers then moved the cows to fields owned by other Palestinian farmers who were not present.
The settlers bring the outpost’s herd into Palestinian farmland on a daily basis, often at night when the farmers are not around and cannot protect their property. Since the outpost was established, the farmers have suffered severe financial losses and are afraid to invest and sow their fields again due to settler attacks and the damage caused by the cattle.