Settler Violence = State Violence

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.

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Displaying 601-620 of 2015 updates. An update can cover more than one incident.
Dates

  3. 25 February 2024 Kh. Shuweika Incidents: 1

    As Fares Samamrah (50), was grazing his flock in privately owned pastureland south of Kh. Shuweika, a settler arrived and chased after the flock in an attempt to drive it away. A few minutes later, five soldiers Samamrah knows as settlers, flew a drone over the flock, assaulted Samamrah and threatened to kill him if he returned to graze his sheep there. The settlers followed Samamrah and harassed him for about two hours until he was near his home. Police officers Samamrah called to the scene arrived only after the settlers left.

  6. 24 February 2024 Kh. Khallet a-Dabe' Incidents: 1

    At around 2:00 P.M., Jaber Dababseh (36) learned from his sister that a settler and his flock of sheep entered his wheat field southwest of Khallet a-Dabe’, which covers eight dunams (1 dunam = 1,000 sq. meters). Dababseh and his brother arrived at the scene and saw settlers, some of them armed, grazing in the field with a flock of about 40 head of sheep. One of the settlers fired three shots at the brothers from a distance of about 500 meters, using a rifle, but neither of them was hurt. The brothers called the police but no officers arrived, and the settlers kept grazing their flock in the field for about three hours, with the brothers watching from afar.

  20. 14 February 2024 Wadi ‘Abayat Incidents: 1

    Four settlers arrived at Wadi ‘Abayat and tried to enter the Sawarkah family tent, while Ibrahim Sawarkah was home with his wife and eight children. Ibrahim Sawarkah (38) blocked their way and demanded they leave. The settlers did leave, but returned about 15 minutes later with clubs and 10 dogs. The family hid inside the tent and called the police, who promised to send soldiers to the scene. The settlers punctured the tires of the family’s tractor and car and smashed the car’s windows. They entered the tent, pepper sprayed the mother in the face and left. At the same time, a settlement guard arrived at the scene and blocked the way to the family’s home with his car. Soldiers arrived about 20 minutes later and simply let the settlers leave. The soldiers asked Sawarkah what had happened and left after he told them. The next morning, Thursday, 15 February 2024, soldiers arrived at the family’s home in a military jeep, demanded Ibrahim Sawarkah’s ID card, handcuffed him, blindfolded him and put him in the jeep. The soldiers took him to the Etzion police station, where he was held for several hours and then interrogated by police officers for allegedly having assaulted a settler. The police then released him, and he found out relatives had taken his wife, children and the family’s flock to their home in al-Maniyah, north of Kisan, and had towed the family’s tractor there too. The family spent the night in al-Maniyah. When Ibrahim Sawarkah went home the next day, he discovered settlers had torched his tent and car. As a result, the family was forced to remain in al-Maniyah.