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Settlers' Attacks

Hebron Region

On 15th January, five settlers from the outpost of Ramot Yashai, in the down town area of Hebron, stoned Palestinians homes near to the outpost. Mohammed Abu Aisha reports that ?in the afternoon the settlers stoned my house and the house of my relative, Tayseer Abu Aisha. This took place in full view of the soldiers on the nearby checkpoint, who did nothing to stop the settlers?.

On 5th February, the settlers from Kiryat Arba' stoned the houses of Wadi Nassara residents, to the south of the settlement. The houses stoned belong to Mahmmoud Jaber , Monder Da'na and Na'eem Da'na. As this was happening settlers also ran after students in the high street, forcing them to leave.

On 26th February, settlers from Sosya and Ma'oon settlement, south east of Hebron, attacked Palestinians shepherds from Litwani and other villages. The settlers opened fire on, and stoned the shepherds in order to force them to leave the area. A week before, in the same area, the settlers seized 50 dunams from near Ma'oon settlement. The land belonged to the Raba'I and Abu Qubaita families. This, itself, was two weeks after 30 dumans had been seized from the Haddar and Huraini families.

On 26th February, settlers from Bait Hagai settlement (close to south Hebron) continued, in cooperation with the army, the work of leveling land in Khalayel Moghrabi. This was in order to make one geographic unit of the above settlements and Kiryat Arba', 5 km to the north east. Waleed Ahmad Taweel, one of the land owners, reported ?until now the settlers, alongside soldiers, have damaged 100 dunams of land. Hundreds more will be confiscated and destroyed as grape vines and olive trees are uprooted, if the work goes ahead. We appealed to the Israeli Supreme Court, which merely asked the settlers to supply documentation regarding the reason for their work on the land. This decision is insufficient as the settlers continue the destruction. Despite this, we will go ahead with our legal petition through the Court".

On 6th February, settlers from Asfar settlement, east of Saeer town, itself north east of Hebron, seized 300 dunams of land belonging to the Shaladeh and Rabah families, planting trees on it. The land is located to the east of the settlement. When the landowners came to protest, the settlers forced them to leave, threatening to shoot them if they returned. The Mayor of Sa'eer Fahmi Shalaledah reported ?the settlers from Asfar settlement, 2 km east of my town, want to build new road linking Asfar and Ma'ali Amoz settlement, 3km to the east of Asfar. This means they are going to confiscate hundreds of planted dunams, they want to confiscate the entire area of land which is majoritively owned by the residents of the town. The farmers will obviously lose an important proportion of their income. We, in the Municipality, are pursuing these confiscations through the Palestinian Authority and some Israeli Human rights organizations, in addition to numerous cases in the Israeli Courts?.

On 17th February, settlers from Giv'at Ma'oon outpost, south east of Hebron, attacked Palestinians farmers and shepherds from the village of Letwani, forcing them to leave their land. The Local Council Chairman, Saber Huraini, said that ?in the last week the settlers, sometimes with help from soldiers, made daily attacks on the farmers and International Solidarity Movement (ISM) volunteers, beating some of them. The settlers claim the land as part of their outpost?.

On 19th February, Mahmoud Husain Abu Ghalayes, aged 18, from Dora, west of Hebron was injured by two settlers from Matsibi lachesh outpost. Mahmoud reported ?whilst I was herding my goats on my land near the outpost, two armed settlers came and started beating me with stones and guns barrels across my body. As I lay on the ground they continued beating me for half an hour before telling me never to return to this area?. He sustained injuries to the head and back

On 23rd February, settlers from Bait Hadasa outpost, in the down town area of Hebron, stoned students from Qurtoba elementary school for girls. This happened in the morning as the students tried to use the stairs leading to the school, located opposite the outpost, no-one was injured but some student returned home. The soldiers located on the nearby closed checkpoint did nothing to stop the settlers.

On the morning of 3rd March, Mohamed and Yazan Da'na, aged 10 and 13 respectively, from Hebron were injured by settlers from Karyat Arba', who attacked them whilst they played near their home in Wadi Husain. At the same time the settlers stoned residents homes, including the home of Salah 'Aish Ja'bari and Mohammed Zareef Ja'bari. The settlers returned in the afternoon, renewing their attack on the home of Jameel Abu Is'aifan.

On 5th March, settlers from Sosya settlement, south east of Hebron seized 40 dumans of land around the settlement. This land belongs to the Jabour and Id'es families from Yatta. Mosa Machamreh , Mayor of the Land Defense Committees in the Hebron district reports ?this land is full of olive trees. It appears to us, in the committee, that there is intensive campaign of land confiscation in that area. Every week there are fresh attacks on farmers and land seizures. We are responding with numerous protests in solidarity with Internationals and Israeli activists, against this new wave of confiscation?.

Bethlehem Region

On 20th February, Hami Abed el Fattah, aged 73, a farmer from Husan village, west of Bethlehem, sustained injuries to his face and hands after four settlers from Betar settlement stoned his car, as he drove to work his land, near to the settlement. Hami reported ?As I was driving on my land four settler youths suddenly appeared and threw stones at my car. The windows were smashed, the pieces of glass and stones injured my face and hands". The Land Defense Committee in Bethlehem said that the settlers from the west of the district have attacked farmers on numerous occasions, in order to prevent them going to work their land around the settlements. These actions are aimed at confiscating yet more land. In conjuncture with this the Israeli Authorities gave 16 farmers from Wadi Fokeen, a village near to Husan, orders banning them from working their land near to Betar settlement, west of Bethlehem.

On 7th March, settlers from numerous settlements and outposts south of Alkhader, itself south west of Bethlehem, prevented farmers accessing to their land in order to cultivate it. D.Ali Abed El Salam, Chairman of the Agriculture Association in the town, pointed out that ?this is the best time of year for cultivating the land, which is planted with vines and olive trees. Tens of farmers go daily to the fields but hoards of armed settlers physically force them to leave. Settlements such as Afrat, Ale'azer, Navi Danial and Gosh Atzion were built on the land of the town. The majority of our remaining land is located in close proximity and between these settlements. The Association sent an urgent alert to President Mahmoud Abbas and many human rights organizations, both Palestinian and Israeli, calling for pressure on the Israeli government to stop the settlers. If they continue with their actions the majority of our farmers will lose their income for the coming year. We are afraid the settlers want to seize the remaining land.?

Nablus and North of West Bank

On 4th February, tens of settlers, some of them armed seized 400 dunams belonging to Bardalah village, in the north of West Bank. The settlers, who came from Jalbo' settlement, put a fence around the land, and then brought tens of cows. This land belongs to the Sawafteh and Mar'ee families. This action came two weeks after the Army Officer in the West Bank issued an order confiscating tens of dunams from the same village for the separation wall.

On 5th February, a settler ran over Nidal Hasan Yamen, aged 35, from Jet village, east of Qalquilya. This happened while Nidal was on the main road leading to his village. The settler drove off without offering any help to Nidal who was taken to hospital in critical condition.

On 9th February, approximately ten settlers from Jel'd outpost, near Jet village, east of Qalquilya, stoned and chased a Palestinian Red Crescent Ambulance. The Local Council Chairman of Jet, Naser Sadda, reported ?the settlers chased the Ambulance in a car, through the village, where the people gathered to face the settlers. The settlers attacked another car, which was parked in the street, damaging the windows. This car belongs to Shaker Sadda from Jet?.

On 14th February, a settler from Kadomeem settlement, in Qalquilya district, attacked residents from Kofor Kaddom village. The Local Council Chairman reported ?whilst tens of residents undertook their daily wait to be allowed through the iron gate in the separation wall in order to enter into the village, a settler, driving an Israeli Ambulance, stopped in the middle of the road, took out something which looked like a knife and attacked the residents who managed to escape. The soldiers standing by the gate checking people as they passed, did nothing to stop him!?

On 16th February, a settler ran over Sa'eed Bajes Daraghmeh, aged 8, from Tobas, in the Jenin district. This took place while the child was walking home from school on the main street, Wad El Maleh street. The settler drove off without offering any help to the child, who was taken to hospital where his condition was described as very dangerous. According to Aref Daraghmeh, Chairman of the Local Council of Wad El Maleh, ?numerous eyewitness saw the settler speeding and drive off after the event.

In the early morning of 16th February, tens of settlers from many settlements north of Nablus, attacked Hawwara village. The settlers invaded the village and opened fire. Afterwards the settlers attacked Hawwara Gas Station burning some cars. The owner of the station, Jihad Hawwari, said that ?the settlers often burn the cars stopped in my station. One month ago, two cars, belonging to me and to my family were burned. Despite the fact we went to Israeli police many times but nothing positive happened. It seems that they want me to leave the place because my station is located near the main road that the settlers are using".

On 23rd February Saleh Wisam Bakeer, aged 11 and Mohammed Salah Abed allah, aged 14, from Azoon village, east of Qalquilya were injured after a settler ran them over. Eyewitnesses saw the car run them over as they tried to cross the main road near the village.

On 2nd March, Ahmed Abu Baker, aged 24, from Ramin village, east of Tulkarem was injured in his left arm when a settler shot him. Ahmed reported that ?whilst I was on the main road, near my village, waiting for a taxi to take me to work in Tulkarem an Israeli car came from the west, stopped and a settler from inside the car opened fire at me.?

On 5th March, Ma'roof Isa Hasan, aged 55, from Yasouf village, in Nablus district was injured after 7 armed settlers attacked him as he worked his land near Tapuah settlement. Ma'rof reported ?I went to cultivate the land in the morning, an hour later seven armed settlers from Tapuah settlement came and asked me to leave, when I told them I was working my land they started beating with stones and guns barrels. As I lay on the ground they continue beating me. My head was bleeding and I felt really bad. Half an hour later I saw an Army Jeep, the soldiers ran up and forced the settlers to stop.?

On 6th March, 6 settlers from Itemar settlement, near Nablus, attacked Madama village, south east of Nablus. Palestinians sources report that the settlers entered parts of the village during the night and opened fire. They also cut down olive trees in the village. This is not the first time that settlers from Itemar have attacked this village.

On 8th March, settlers from Kadomeem settlement, north east of Qalquilya prevented farmers from Kofor Kadoom from reaching their land located near the settlement. The mayor of the village, A'ad Ishtiawi, reported ?the settlers have prevented the farmers from reaching their land on numerous occasions. We in the Municipality have raised this issue with the Israeli side through the Palestinians Authority but it seems they didn't take the issue seriously. A lot of farmers will lose their income from this land, planted with olive trees, if the settlers continue their aggressions?.