In recent years — and especially since 7 October 2023 — there has been a sharp increase in both the number and severity of settler attacks against Palestinians. The incidents reported on this blog do not reflect all incidents of settler violence in the West Bank, but only those that B’Tselem was able to document and investigate.
Bardalah, the Jordan Valley:: Five Palestinians injured by gunshots fired by soldiers and a settler during clashes that erupted after settlers tried to drive farmers out of their fields. The settlers then set fire to homes and sheep pens
Structures and other property burned by settlers in the Jahalin family’s residential compound in Qa’un Plain. Photo: ‘Aref Daraghmeh, B’Tselem
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On Wednesday evening, 23 April 2025, farmers from the village of Bardalah arrived at their fields in the agricultural area of Qa’un Plain, north of the village, to water and tend to their crops. At around 10:00 P.M., four settlers, at least one of them armed with a rifle, arrived at the site and tried to drive the farmers out of the fields. A confrontation broke out, and the farmers called for help from other residents of Bardalah. The settlers also called for reinforcements, and more settlers arrived, escorted by soldiers.
At around 11:00 P.M., soldiers and at least one settler opened fire at the farmers and residents, who tried to flee back toward the village on foot and in vehicles, injuring five of them. Three were hit by bullets in their legs, and two were injured by fragments. The wounded were taken to the clinic in the nearby town of ‘Ein al-Beida and from there to hospitals in Tubas, Jericho, Jenin, and Ramallah. Two of them were hospitalized for over a week.
That same night, shortly before midnight, soldiers arrived at a residential compound on the southern edge of Qa’un Plain, about 200 meters north of Bardalah, where Ahmad Jahalin, 53, and his son ‘Alaa, 25, have been living with their families for several years. The families fled to neighbors’ homes shortly before, fearing a settler attack, and watched the events from about 500 meters away. The soldiers broke into the compound, searched the house, tents, and sheep pens, opened the gates of the pens to let the flock out, and vandalized property. When the soldiers reached the back of the compound, they noticed the family members watching from a distance, chased them, arrested Muhammad Jahalin, 16, and took him to a military base nearby. Jahalin was released the next day with no explanation given for his arrest. The soldiers then withdrew toward the village of Bardalah.
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Water tank destroyed by settlers in the Jahalin family’s residential compound in the Qa’un area. Photo: ‘Aref Daraghmeh, B’Tselem
Moments after the soldiers left, the family saw at least two settlers arriving at the compound on an ATV. The settlers broke into the compound, set fire to the tents, residential structures, and sheep pens, with livestock still inside. The family called a fire truck from the Bardalah fire station, but soldiers and settlers initially blocked its way, forcing them to watch from afar as the flames killed their sheep and consumed their property. All the residential structures burned down, and their contents were destroyed, including furniture, official documents, jewelry, money, kitchen utensils, medicines, and family photos. The sheep pens also burned, and about 50 sheep that were injured in the fire died that night and in the following days. The settlers also burned two 1.5 cubic meter water tanks and all animal feed stocks.
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The road from Bardalah to the agricultural land in the Qa’un Plain blocked by the Aravot HaYarden Regional Council. Photo courtesy of Jordan Valley activists
The next day, Thursday, 24 April 2025, at around 3:30 P.M., Shai Eigner, Northern Division Land Coordinator with Aravot Hayarden Regional Council, came to Bardalah with a police officer and a bulldozer, which blocked the service road from the village to the Qa’un Plain with rocks. Farmers are now forced to take a seven-kilometer detour along rough dirt roads to reach their fields.
The Jahalin family home, which the settlers burned, was rebuilt at the same location with the help of donations.
B’Tselem field researcher ‘Aref Daraghmeh collected testimonies from residents of Bardalah:
Suleiman Suaftah, 35, spoke about sustaining a gunshot wound while trying to flee towards the village in a testimony he gave on 19 August 2025:
I live in the village of Bardalah and have worked in agriculture for many years, in the Qa’un Plain and the lands around it. I grow all kinds of vegetables there, and so do other farmers. On Wednesday afternoon, 23 April 2025, I went to my plot along with other farmers to tend to the fields and turn on the irrigation system. The water is distributed in turns. Each farmer waters for a few hours at a time. Some of the farmers who came with me went to water, and others came to protect their fields because the settler who set up an outpost northwest of Bardalah about eight months ago brings his cows into the fields and destroys the crops.
At around 10:00 P.M., I suddenly heard farmers shouting that four settlers had arrived and were trying to drive them out of the fields, and that one of them was armed. Then I heard them shouting that the settlers were attacking, and I saw people running toward the village. Suddenly, heavy gunfire broke out. I ran quickly with the other farmers, and we all fled toward the village. The shooting grew more intense.
While running, I was hit in my right leg, near the knee. I fell to the ground and shouted to people that I had been injured. One of them dragged me to a passing car, which took me to Bardalah. From there, I was evacuated to the hospital in Jericho, and later to Ramallah for further treatment. I stayed in the hospital for more than a week, in severe pain, and I couldn’t work for months due to the injury.
I don’t know who fired, the military or the settlers, but I think everyone fired at the people. Other farmers and residents from the village were also injured. The military comes and supports the settlers’ attacks. I don’t think the settlers will leave the farmers in Qa’un Plain alone. They’re determined to drive them out and prevent them from working their land.
Muhammad Suaftah, 32, father of one, described his injury as he fled towards the village in testimonies he gave on 26 April and 19 August 2025:
On Wednesday evening, 23 April 2025, I was at home in Bardalah when I heard people outside saying that settlers had arrived in the Qa’un area and were attacking farmers. I drove there with many other villagers.
When we arrived, there was a throng of people, but I couldn’t make out exactly what was happening. Some farmers said their crops had been destroyed; others said both settlers and soldiers were there and that the settlers had attacked someone. Shortly afterward, I heard heavy gunfire and shouting. I saw people running and calling others to flee toward the village. I got into a car with others, and we drove back toward Bardalah. The shooting continued.
After we had driven a short distance, shots were fired at us, and I felt something hit my back. I started bleeding. Fadi Suaftah, who was in the car with me, was also injured, and Muhammad Suaftah, who was standing on the side of the vehicle as it was moving, was hit in the leg.
We kept driving until we reached Bardalah. From there, we were evacuated by ambulance to the Turkish Hospital in Tubas. We had to take a long detour through the Hamra checkpoint, since the Tayasir checkpoint was closed. When we arrived at the hospital, it turned out that Fadi and I had been injured by fragments, and Muhammad had been hit by a bullet. My injury was relatively minor, so they treated me and discharged me, but the other wounded were hospitalized.
The settlers are hostile to us. They want to kill us and drive us off our land, even though we have official title deeds for it. Everyone is afraid of what will happen here. My family and I are scared to go near the area because the settlers are always roaming around, and the military protects them. They do whatever they want, and no one says anything to them.
‘Alaa Jahalin, 25, father of one, spoke about the torching of his family’s residential compound in a testimony he gave on 19 August 2025:
I live with my family and my father’s family near an area called Qa’un Plain, north of Bardalah. We make our living raising sheep. About eight months ago, a settler arrived and set up an outpost to the west of our home. The settler brought a herd of cows, and since then, he has been grazing them everywhere, including on lands we use for pasture and in nearby fields. The military harassed us several times, confiscated our tractor, and forbade us from grazing the sheep in most areas. Our lives have become extremely difficult. The settlers are doing everything they can to drive us out, and the military helps them.
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Property burned by settlers in the Jahalin family’s residential compound in Qa’un Plain. Photo: ‘Aref Daraghmeh, B’Tselem
On Wednesday, 23 April 2025, shortly before midnight, we were all at home except for my father. I heard and saw residents from Bardalah gathered north of our compound and in the nearby fields, and I also saw several people near our tents. Then I heard shouting and gunfire, and the people I had seen started running south, toward Bardalah. My father called me because he’d heard that settlers and soldiers were in the Qa’un area, and when I told him what was happening, he asked us all to leave the house and go to the neighbors. The whole family fled without taking anything, running about 500–600 meters toward the neighbors’ homes.
From where we were, I suddenly saw soldiers appear near our tents, and the remaining residents in the area fled. The soldiers entered our compound, went into the tents and the sheep pens, opened doors, conducted searches, and destroyed property. When they were behind the tents, they saw us and started chasing us. My family and I managed to hide, but the soldiers caught my brother Muhammad, 16, and arrested him.
After that, the soldiers let us be and continued chasing residents from Bardalah almost to the outskirts of the village. Then I saw an ATV approaching our home with at least two people on it. They ran toward the compound and set fire to the residential structures, the pens, and the animal feed, and the flames spread.
I told people that settlers had set fire to the tents, and they contacted the Palestinian DCO to ask for a fire truck from the Bardalah fire station. At first, the soldiers and settlers prevented the fire truck from coming. After some time, the military allowed the fire truck and an ambulance from ‘Ein al-Beida to approach. I went with them toward our family home.
Everything was burning. Some of the sheep were outside the pens (the soldiers must have opened some of the gates), but many were trapped inside. The pens were made of jute and plastic sheets, and because of the fire, they collapsed on top of the flock. At first, we estimated that about 20 had died and several dozen more were injured in the fire, but in the following days we found that about 50 sheep had died. Some of the pregnant ewes also miscarried. All the sheep’s food was burned.
Our house burned down too, along with all our belongings. We escaped with only the clothes on our backs, nothing else. Official documents, gold jewelry, a small amount of money, and all our memories, including wedding photos and pictures of our grandparents, were burned. The children’s belongings, medicines inside and outside the refrigerators, and all the kitchenware melted in the heat. We were left without a single mattress or blanket to sleep on, nothing. Even the water tanks were burned, and not a single drop of water remained in the compound.
Ahmad Jahalin, 53, father of four, added to his son ‘Alaa’s account in a testimony he gave on 26 April 2025:
We live in constant fear. We have no protection from the settlers, who use violence and have the military’s support. The soldiers know very well that the settlers attack residents, yet they arrest the residents and protect the settlers, letting them do whatever they want. They did the same that night too. The settlers burned everything we had, yet the military chased the residents, and the soldiers arrested my son Muhammad,16, and held him for an entire day.
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Ahmad Jahalin in the residential compound torched by the settlers. . Photo: ‘Aref Daraghmeh, B’Tselem
The settlers left me with nothing, no furniture, no house, no tents. But I will rebuild my home. The people here are generous, and I will return to live in the same place despite the fear that the settlers will attack us again. We have suffered greatly under the occupation over the years, and we continue to suffer to this day. The settlers try to block every possibility of a normal life for us, but we are determined to go on. We have no other choice.
