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Settlers? Attacks

Hebron region

- On May 15th, settlers from Avraham Avino Outpost, in the old city of Hebron, renewed attacks on residents homes near to the Al-Haram Al-Ibrahimi Mosque (cave of the patriarchs). These houses, which belong to Taseer Salhab, Najeh Al Muhtaseb, Tareq Gafisha and Mahmoud Abu Halaweh, were attacked three times throughout the day. The settlers also attempted to occupy the home of Abu Najeeb Sharabati which had previously been damaged two years ago when settlers forced the family to leave. On 13th January 2005 the Israeli Supreme Court had ruled in favour of the family, awarding them the right to return to home.

- Also on 15th May settlers from the nearby outpost of Beit Hadasa threw stones and sprayed water at Palestinians walking down the main road near the outpost.

- On May 15th, settlers from Ramot Yashai renewed their attacks on Abu Aisha?s house, near the outpost. Whilst this attack was happening they also threw stones at a shop belonging to Hasan Radi Abu Aisha, in a nearby street. Soldiers posted on a nearby checkpoint did nothing to stop the settlers. When a group of local journalists appeared to cover the events the settlers also attacked them with stones, forcing them to leave. The settlers claim the area as part of their outpost.

- On May 16th, settlers from Ma?on settlement, south east of Yatta, set fire to twenty dunams of wheat on Palestinian land 2km to the west of the settlement. This land belongs to Ali Mohammed Abu ?Eed, Ahmad Mahmoud Shawaheen and Isama?el Radi Daghameen, from the village of Karmel. Ten hours previously approximately seventy settlers from the same settlements had attacked a number of Palestinians shepherds with stakes and guns butts. Isa Mohammed Shawahen, 30, Ahmed Khaleel Shawahen, 16, Adham Ahmad Shawahen, 15, and Husain Mahmoud Shawahen, 13, were all injured. Over the last few months there have been daily attacks by settlers on farmers and shepherds, aimed at forcing them off their land in order to confiscate it for settlements purposes.

- On May 16th, settlers from Ramot Yashai renewed their attacks on Tayseer Abu Aisah?s house. Abu Aisha reported how ?in the morning five settlers came to our house and threw stones at it, trapping us for two hours?.

- On May 20th, settlers from Avraham Avino, threw stones at Palestinians walking down the street near the Sahla Quarter of the city centre. Majed Abu Maizer, 20, suffered injuries to his back. Whilst this happened other settlers attacked the near by Al-Ibrahimia School, throwing stones at the students as they left their classes.

- On May 21st, settlers from Ramot Yashai attacked the home of Jamil Abu Haikal. This attack came after hours of peaceful solidarity demonstrations by both Israeli and International peace groups. The same day, settlers from Beit Hadasa outpost threw stones at pupils from Qurtoba Elementary School for girls. Samah Sharabati, 14, was injured. The school head, Firyal Sharabati, said ?Samah fell to the ground whilst escaping from the settlers who were chasing her down the street?.

- On May 22nd, settlers, in co-operation with the Army, destroyed six Barazes (Palestinian mobile homes) in the hamlets of Khalit Dab?, Om Sarareh, Fukhait; all situated near Ma?on settlement. The Barazes belonged to the Mosa Abu Eram, Mohammed Isma?el, Mohammed Jaber Salameh and Jaber Mohammed Salameh families. Saber Hurainee, the Chairman of the Local Council said ?the aim of these aggressive acts of the settlers and the Army is to force the farmers to leave their land. We are facing numerous acts of aggression from the settlers; such as attacking shepherds, land confiscation and cutting and uprooting trees. We have lost a large proportion of our income as a result of this but worse still we are very afraid that one day they will physically force us to leave.?

- On May 23rd, three settlers from Ma?on settlement stole seven goats belonging to Shehada Salameh Makhamreh. The settlers captured the goats while Shehada was herding them on his land, to the west of the settlement, loaded them onto their truck and drove off to the settlement. Israeli policemen later returned the goats and informed Shehada they arrested one of the settlers.

- On May 26th, settlers from Ramot Yashai, attacked Jamil Abu Haikal?s house with stones, smashing three windows. At the same time they threw stones at workers from the Hebron Municipality who were doing some maintenance work on the water pipes supplying Palestinian homes, forcing them to leave. All theses attacks took place in full view of soldiers posted on a nearby checkpoint, but they did nothing to stop the settlers. The previous day the same settlers had uprooted six grapevines.

- On May 29th, settlers from numerous outposts in downtown Hebron stoned a number of houses in the city centre. These houses belong to the Muhtaseb, Ghaith, Gafisha, and Abu Hadeed families. Windows were smashed and a twelve-year-old child, Khitam Husain Muhtaseb, sustained a head injury. The Israeli policemen in the city took her affidavit about the event, promising to investigate.

- During the night of June 6th, settlers from Avraham Avino set fire to a shop in the city centre. An eyewitness, Salah Ahmed, said ?the fire burned for three hours before soldiers came to put it out?. This shop, as with hundreds in the city, had been closed for the past two years due to military orders.

- On June 13th, settlers from Kiryat Arba renewed attacks on houses in Wadi El-Hussein and Wadi El-Nasara, south of the settlement. Nafiz Mohammed Da?na from Wadi El-Nasara reported ?groups of settlers from Kiryat Arba stoned many houses close to settlement smashing windows, these houses belong to my father and my uncle Na?eem. They tried to enter the last house but a group of assembled residents prevented them.? Jamal Abu Is?aifan from Wadi El-Hussein reported ?four houses were stoned by the settlers, these houses belong to myself, Abed El Hai Abu Is?aifan, Mohammed Ali Ja?baree and Sa?eed Da?na.?

Nablus and North of West Bank

- On May 12th, tens of settlers from Elon Moreh and Itemar settlements organized demonstrations in honour of Israeli Independence Day. During the demonstrations they entered an olive grove, just off the main road, by the village of Salim, in Nablus district, and according to local sources burnt down approximately thirty trees. In addition a number of armed settlers entered Salim and Beit Dajan villages and began throwing stones at cars. According to Israeli Police sources twenty-six settlers were arrested and questioned, twenty-two from Elon Moreh and four from Itemar.

- On May 22nd, settlers from Sa-Nur settlement, south of Jenin, in cooperation with soldiers had been preventing farmers from Al-Fandaqumiya village from reaching their land for a week. The farmers wanted to harvest their apricots but the settlers and soldiers claimed the land as a closed area. The farmers Hasan Ahmed Azzam, Fatemeh Saleh Yousef and Hala Mahmoud Abbas all complained to Israeli Authorities, through the Palestinian Authority, about the settlers and soldiers. As a result of these actions the farmers will now lose their income for the year.

- From mid to late May, settlers from Kadomeem settlement, east of Qalquilya continuing levelling and damaging land belonging to families from Kfar Qaddum in order to expand their settlement. In just over a week more than ninety dunams were levelled. In mid June these same settlers burnt down approximately one hundred olive trees on land belonging to the village of Jet. Naser Sudda, the chairman of the Local Council said ?groups of settlers entered the olive groves in the south area of the village, and set fire to one hundred trees belonging to Sa?el Mohammed Yamen and Abed Mohammed Sudda?.