March Updates
As the ruthless bombing of Gaza restarted by the Israeli Occupation Forces, in Masafer Yatta and the rest of the West Bank we also had to face high-intensity violence by settlers in coordination with the army.
On the 1st of March the IOF raided the village of Al Jawaya village in Masafer Yatta, attacking its residents, shooting tear gas and sound bombs as well as live ammunition in the air. Many of the residents of the villange were beaten by the soldiers.
The following day, in the nearby village of Mughayr al Abeed, masked settlers stormed the village and injured two of its residents. On the night of that same day, settlers also attacked the village of Susya, throwing rocks at the inhabitants and destroying their property. Susya was attacked by settlers again on March 11th.
A similar attack took place in village of Isfey Al Fauqa where armed and masked settlers attacked and harrassed Palestinian residents, damaging essential solar and water systems, and killing livestock in an attempt to intimidate and break their spirits.
On March 8th, a coordinated attack by both settlers and army to the village of Khalet ad Daba resulted in three palestinian villagers being beaten and arrested, as well as the arrest of three international solidarity activists, one of whom was later deported and banned to re-enter Palestine by the occupying forces.
On the 17th of March, at 7 am in the morning, while Palestinian farmers were shepherding in the village of Susya, 8 masked settlers with sticks came down into the village, throwing huge rocks at the families, including at young children ready for school. The attack was coordinated with the violent settler Shem Tov, who then arranged for the arrest of one of the Palestinians who was being attacked, allowing the masked settlers to run away, unaccounted for, while the Palestinian families were questioned. As the settlers left through the family’s olive grove, they destroyed some of the young olive trees. Two Palestinians were injured by settlers hurling rocks: a woman was hit in the eye and an elderly man injured in the foot. Shem Tov, a settler from Russia, sat up in the front of the police vehicle, smoking a cigarette and ensuring the arrest of one of the Palestinians by occupation forces, and when he left the car, winked and made kissing noises at the young girls in their school uniforms who were anxiously watching their father being detained in the police car.
This village was targeted again on March 25th during the time of Iftar, when all families were gathering to break the fast, by settlers backed by the Israeli Occupation Forces. During this pogrom, the settlers beat and threw rocks at the residents and the solidarity activists present. The army then reached them and proceded to arrest Palestinian residents, including Palestinian film-maker Hamdan Ballal, instead of the attackers.
On the 28th of the month, the village of Jinba was the target of an organised attack where 22 Palestinians were arrested, and 5 Palestinians were severely injured, one of whom is a 15 years old child, with fractured skulls from the result of being beaten with clubs by settlers. A day after this attack, the army returned to the village to raid the homes and destroy the belongings of the families.
Today, on the festivity of Eid, Israeli extremists settlers attacked the Wadi al-Simsim community, south of Adh Dhahiriya, assaulting the residents, burning the tents and sheep pens, and threating them in yet another attempt to ethnically cleanse the area from Palestinians.
Despite all the attacks and the efforts to force Palestinians out of their land in Masafer Yatta, we remain steadfast in our rightful place, fighting against all the brutalities of the occupation. We continue to spread awarness on these crimes, organising against them and showing continuous solidarity to all those struggling against the occupation.
In Solidarity,
Youth of Sumud
