On Monday morning, 21 December 2020, Subhi (32) and Walid (35) Shalaldeh were out grazing their flock on pastureland they own in the area of al-Qanub, about five kilometers east of Sa’ir, in Hebron District. Israel has declared this land ‘state land’ and allocated it to area settlements, including the settlement of Asfar (Metzad) established in 1983 about three kilometers from the family’s home.
At around 1:30 P.M., a vehicle with several settlers arrived. About 15 minutes later, they were joined by an ATV with four settlers, who were armed with handguns and had two dogs with them. The settlers hurled stones at the flock and set their dogs on them. Two of the settlers also attacked Walid Shalaldeh. The two brothers, who feared for their lives, gathered their flock and ran back towards their home.
Meanwhile, a family member called their parents, Muhammad (73) and Zuhour (66), and told them what had happened. The parents started running towards the pastureland. When they had gone about 70 meters, they saw their sons come running after the flock, with the settlers chasing them in the vehicle and the ATV. While Muhammad Shalaldeh was asking the settlers about their actions, the ATV driver hit his son Subhi, knocked him to the ground and drove over him again and again until Subhi blacked out.
At that point, Muhammad picked up a stone to throw at the ATV driver in order to protect his son, but the settler who was driving the other vehicle got out and pushed the ATV driver out of his seat.
Immediately afterwards, the settlers left. The family called the UN office and asked them to send an ambulance, which arrived about 15 minutes later and took Subhi to ‘Aliyah Hospital in Hebron. He was X-rayed and examined, and found to be suffering bruising. He was discharged at about 4:00 P.M.
In a testimony he gave B’Tselem field researcher Manal al-Ja’bari, Subhi Shalaldeh recounted how the settlers attacked him and his brother and drove them out of the pastureland:
On Monday, 21December 2020, at around 1:30 P.M., my brother Walid and I were tending to our sheep on our land, about two kilometers away from our home and about five kilometers from the settlement of Metzad. A car with several settlers stopped next to us and we saw one of them talking on his mobile phone. He was probably calling more settlers to come.
About 15 minutes later, an ATV arrived with four settlers in their twenties. They had two huge, unleashed dogs with them. The moment the settlers reached us, they released the dogs, who started chasing the sheep. The settlers also started throwing stones at the sheep.
Two of the settlers attacked my brother Walid – slapping, punching, and kicking him. Walid and I didn’t even try to defend ourselves, because four or five of them had handguns and we were afraid they’d kill us. We tried to gather the scattered sheep and led them home. We thought the settlers had left.
In a testimony she gave B’Tselem field researcher Manal al-Ja’bari, Subhi’s mother, Zuhour Shalaldeh, described what happened next:
On 21 December 2020, I was sitting with my husband in front of our tents. Suddenly, a relative called and told us that settlers were attacking Subhi and Walid, who were out with the flock. My husband immediately called Walid, who answered the phone and said that settlers were attacking them and that they had dogs. Then he stopped talking and didn’t answer our questions, although he was still on the line. We heard shouting.
My husband and I ran towards the pastureland but after we moved about 70 meters away from the house, we couldn’t go on. We were out of breath and exhausted. My legs hurt and I couldn’t stand. We could see our sheep running towards the house from the area we’d reached, and then we saw Walid and Subhi running behind them and trying to control them.
Before Walid got a chance to tell us what happened, a car with three settlers armed with handguns drove up, followed by an ATV with two settlers and two huge dogs. My husband blocked the first car’s path and ask the driver for his name. The driver said his name was Ibrahim, and then my husband started talking with him and asking him why they’d attacked our sons.
At the same time, the ATV driver suddenly drove towards Subhi and hit him. Subhi fell on his back and then the ATV drove over him a few times, with the wheels going over both sides of his body, mostly hitting his arms and legs. Subhi fainted and the settler kept driving over him. He did that about three times. I froze at the sight. I cried and screamed and covered my face with dirt. Then I saw my husband pick up a large stone to throw it at the ATV driver, but the settler who called himself “Ibrahim” grabbed the driver and knocked him out of his seat. The ATV rant into the settlers’ car and turned off.
My husband and I picked Subhi up to get him away from there. He was unconscious and his clothes were torn. We took him about 20 meters away and laid him down by the roadside. The settlers got in their cars and fled. My husband called the UN office and asked them to call an ambulance. We live in a remote area and there’s no one who can help us. About 15 minutes later, a Red Crescent ambulance arrived and took Subhi to ‘Aliyah Hospital.
I’m still in shock. My whole body is in pain from the sight of the ATV running over my son. I can’t let go of it. I burst into tears whenever I remember that sight. Of course, I’m sad over both my sons and what happened to them. Subhi still doesn’t feel well. His whole body is in pain.