On Saturday morning, 10 October 2020, ‘Amer Abu Hejleh (56), a resident of Deir Istiya in Salfit District, went to his plot. Several members of his family and Palestinian and Israeli human rights activists came along to help him seal a swimming pool settlers that had dug on his property during the lockdown imposed by the Palestinian Authority last April. In September, after Abu Hejleh filed a complaint, the Civil Administration drained the pool and confiscated benches the settlers set up next to it.
Back to that Saturday: A few minutes after the group reached the land, several settlers arrived, escorted by the security coordinator from the settlement of Yakir and three soldiers riding in his car. The settlers tried to drive Abu Hejleh and his friends out, and an argument ensued. A police car arrived and the officers checked the IDs of those present. They then arrested Abu Hejleh,on the grounds that settlers had filed a complaint against him in May. When an Israeli activist tried to intervene and prevent the arrest, the officers arrested him, too. He was released a few hours later, but Abu Hejleh was interrogated at the police station in Ariel and transferred to Ofer Prison. He was held at Ofer for three days and released without charges, after paying a 3,000 shekel (~890 USD) fine.
On 11 October 2020, while Abu Hejleh was in custody, some 30 Palestinian volunteers went to his land to help the family harvest their olive trees. At around 11:00 A.M, about 10 settlers showed up, escorted by three soldiers. They tried to drive the volunteers out, claiming that they hadn’t coordinated the harvest with the DCO. Only after an hour and a half did the soldiers and settlers leave, and the harvesters continued their work.