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Israeli settlers slaughter dozens of sheep in attack on Palestinian Bedouins
Israeli settlers slaughter dozens of sheep in attack on Palestinian Bedouins

Middle East Eye

time5 days ago

  • Politics
  • Middle East Eye

Israeli settlers slaughter dozens of sheep in attack on Palestinian Bedouins

At dawn on Friday, groups of Israeli settlers slaughtered dozens of sheep and beat and stole several others in al-Miteh in the Jordan Valley, in the occupied West Bank. The attack forced two Palestinian families to evacuate their homes and relocate to al-Auja, near the city of Jericho. This incident is part of a growing pattern of settler violence targeting Bedouin communities, aimed at driving them from lands coveted by Israeli settlers. The settlers frequently attack livestock as a way to destroy the livelihood of Palestinian families and facilitate the seizure of their lands. Mahmoud Kaabneh, one of the residents forced to flee, told Middle East Eye that on Thursday evening, settlers attacked the home of his brother Salem and attempted to steal donkeys. When the family intervened to stop them, more settlers arrived and began assaulting the homes of Salem and his cousin Suleiman, along with their families. The settlers then opened the sheep pen and stole around 350 sheep. Residents quickly gathered to try to recover the livestock. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters "The Israeli army was present with the settlers and did nothing," Kaabneh said. "But when the residents tried to rescue the livestock, the soldiers attacked the Palestinians instead and chased us down. They arrested 20 men and beat them severely for four hours." 'We were left with nothing' In the early morning hours, residents continued searching for their sheep and discovered that settlers had slaughtered dozens of them. "More than 100 sheep were killed - some slaughtered with knives, others beaten to death, and many left with deep wounds. Some of them were stolen," Kaabneh said. He added that a man from the area was hit on the head with an iron pipe while trying to fend off the settlers. When an ambulance arrived, Israeli soldiers detained him for hours at the Hamra checkpoint near Tubas, preventing him from being transported to hospital. Palestinians left 'without shelter and water' as settlers empty West Bank village Read More » Kaabneh and his brothers, who live nearby, were forced to leave their homes and leave the area after the attack - the fifth time they've been displaced due to settler violence. "We've been displaced since 13 October 2023,' he said. "Each time we're attacked, our children and women are beaten, our sheep stolen. Once, they took everything we owned - our homes, belongings - and we were left with nothing but the clothes on our backs." According to local residents, settler attacks are a near-daily occurrence in the area, but this latest assault was among the most violent, spreading fear among Bedouin families. Aref Daraghmeh, a local anti-settlement activist, said at least 30 Bedouin families have been forced to leave the Jordan Valley due to increased settler violence since the start of the war on Gaza, including 20 families in the past three months alone. Recently, settlers have begun a tactic known locally as flag-based settlement, in which they plant an Israeli flag near the tents of Palestinian residents. If the flag is disturbed or even blown over by the wind, settlers use it as a pretext to attack Palestinians. This tactic has terrified residents, Daraghmeh told MEE, adding that settlers have also been using tractors to ram into homes and animal shelters. "There is no one to protect the Palestinians here," Daraghmeh said. "The Israeli army is supporting the settlers in their attempt to completely evacuate the Jordan Valley of its residents."

Israeli settlers escalate attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank
Israeli settlers escalate attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank

Middle East Eye

time20-02-2025

  • Politics
  • Middle East Eye

Israeli settlers escalate attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank

Israeli settlers have carried out several of assaults against Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank over the past week, in a major escalation of settler violence in Palestinian villages. Fares Kaabneh told Middle East Eye that settlers attacked the area where he lives near the village of al-Taybeh, east of Ramallah, on Wednesday morning. Settlers broke into two of their family homes, beat his father and uncle, smashed the windows and stole money and gold. The escalation of attacks comes in conjunction with statements by Israeli officials about the necessity of completing the plan to annex the West Bank during this year. Palestinians believe the settlers are motivated by the Israeli government to carry out these attacks, especially in Area C, in order to expel its residents and facilitate its annexation to settlements, including outposts established during the past year. Under the 1993 Oslo Accords, the West Bank is divided into Areas A, B and C. Area C territory comprises 60 percent of the West Bank and is fully controlled by the Israeli military. Almost all Israeli settlements are located in area C. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters The area around al-Taybeh, which is located between areas B and C, has long been considered relatively quiet and is not usually subject to attacks from settlers. But Settlers have turned their attention to it after they forced surrounding Bedouin communities to flee with repeated attacks. "We became at the forefront after the displacement of the people of these Bedouin communities. We were surprised by the raid that took place with seven civilian cars on Wednesday," Kaabneh said. "They took my father, 70, and my uncle, 55, and violently beat them. They also interrogated my cousin and tortured him." What was striking about the attack was that the perpetrators identified themselves as Israeli intelligence personnel, though their faces were known to the Palestinians in the area as settlers from nearby outposts. Some of them also wore Israeli army uniforms. Israel had previously handed eviction notices to several families in the area but homeowners took legal steps and were able to freeze the demolition process. "We are five families consisting of 40 people, 15 of whom are children. We live in stone houses and not in tents. Our fathers and grandfathers have lived here for decades," Kaabneh said. "The intrusion was violent with the aim of intimidating us. They took off the tiles from our homes and put dirt in the engines of our cars. These cannot be seen as individual actions." Fiercest campaign In the past two days, several villages near the city of Nablus also witnessed violence committed by settlers. The attacks have included smashing the windows of houses, assaulting their owners, and stealing livestock in the villages of Jalud and Juresh, while settlers burned vehicles belonging to Palestinians in Susya, south of Hebron. In the town of Aqraba, southeast of Nablus, settlers attacked the residents of al-Fajm area on Monday morning, wounding seven people. Israel to confiscate a thousand hectares of Palestinian land in West Bank Read More » The mayor of Aqraba, Salah Bani Jaber, told MEE that the settlers were armed, masked and wearing Israeli army uniforms to further intimidate the residents. "At the end of the attack, they stole 40 sheep, and informed the people that if they didn't leave, they would repeat the attack again," he said. Aqraba is the largest town in the West Bank. Since October 2023, it has experienced 106 settler attacks, during which three residents have been killed and dozens wounded and arrested. During this time, Israeli authorities have ordered the confiscation 25,000 dunums (6,000 acres) of land and attempted to sieze another 75,000 dunums. "The town is being subjected to one of the fiercest campaigns in the West Bank. There has been a coordinated effort between the settlers, the Israeli army, and the political leadership since the rise of the extremist far-right Israeli government three years ago. The aim is to displace and expel us," said Bani Jaber. In just two years, Israeli authorities have demolished the homes of Palestinians in Khirbet al-Tawil, one of Aqraba's Bedouin communities, four times, forcing residents to relocate.

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