Following repeated harassment, settlers established an outpost yesterday, Tuesday, April 28 in the village of Jalud, south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank. The WAFA news agency reported that a group of settlers set up tents among residential homes in the Al-Daharat area, on village lands. On Monday, a child and a young man were injured in a settler attack in the village; the settlers attacked residents in the same area where the outpost was established the following day. As a result, a child was struck in the head by a stone, and another young man sustained bodily injuries.
Protesters demonstrate against settler violence in the occupied Palestinian territories at the government complex in Jerusalem, yesterday. A sign reads “The Kahanist Terror Government.” (Photo: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
That same day, settlers set fire to a residence in Jalud, and a family member whose home was attacked was beaten in the head with clubs. The military stated that he was evacuated for medical treatment, and that one Israeli was detained and handed over to police custody. The building belongs to the Tubasi family and is located on an isolated hill on the outskirts of the village, between the settlements of Esh Kodesh and Ahiya. A hole remains in the outer wall of the house, which family members say was breached by settlers on Sunday.
Approximately three weeks ago, settlers were documented setting fire to the entrance of the residence. In the past week, the situation has escalated, and on one occasion, a settler was filmed arriving at the scene armed with military equipment. Earlier this month, settlers set fire to poultry farms on the outskirts of Jalud and attacked one of the Palestinian workers. The young man, who was considered missing for about an hour, was in an open field unconscious and suffering from a head injury. According to Palestinian sources, he remained in a coma with a brain hemorrhage for weeks. Police arrested eight suspects at the time, aged 18–48, including one in possession of a military rifle. It is noted that the settlers arrived in the area driving off-road Rangers of the type distributed by the Ministry of Settlement and National Missions.
Yesterday, settlers also attacked shepherds in the Al-Muntar Bedouin community southeast of Jerusalem. The settlers chased and harassed the shepherds to prevent them from grazing their flocks. Additionally, yesterday morning, settlers took over a resident’s home in the village of Deir Jarir, east of Ramallah. WAFA reported that the settlers, under the protection of occupation forces, seized the home of Khairi Abu Khadir and raised Israeli flags on its roof. Simultaneously, occupation forces raided the village while residents gathered to try and block the settler attacks.
In another incident, occupation forces arrested two brothers before dawn during a raid on the village of Kafr Ni’ma, west of Ramallah. According to the same sources, forces arrested Ahmad Abu Adi (20) and his brother Muhammad Mufid Abu Adi (22) after raiding their family home and damaging its contents. Furthermore, settlers installed a communication tower yesterday in the village of Kisan, east of Bethlehem, under the security of occupation forces. The tower was placed on residents’ land in the Al-Matina area, east of the village, near residential homes. According to WAFA, “the installation of the tower endangers the residents and serves as a preliminary step toward seizing more land and preventing landowners from accessing it”.
Meanwhile, police used force yesterday to evacuate dozens of Israeli protesters who blocked the entrance to the Ministry of Finance in Jerusalem. Two protesters were arrested on “suspicion of disturbing public order.” According to Zo Haderekh, activists from the Changing Direction movement and the Orange Overalls group, who took part in the protest stated they entered the offices to protest “government support for Kahanist terror in the occupied territories.” Changing Direction further stated: “The police violently evacuated protesters engaged in direct, non-violent protest against Jewish terror in the occupied territories, which receives funding and encouragement from the government and law enforcement.” They added: “It is a duty to protest against the lawlessness of the Kahane government. Terror has no borders; it is a double-edged sword that stabs deep into the belly of Israeli society. We see an increase in murderous violence across the country. The phenomenon of settler terror is not new, but in recent years it has broken records, backed by the government and the army.”
Related: https://maki.org.il/en/?p=33387
