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.
On Thursday, 3 November 2022, at around 6:00 A.M., seven members of the Mashni family went to pick olives on their farmland located in the al-Majales area, some six kilometers from their home in the town of a-Shuyukh. The party included ‘Ayed Mashni (64), his wife ‘Afaf (61), their children Muhammad (37), Hamed (30), and twins Maryam and ‘Omar (28), and Muhammad’s son Thaer (7). The family left their car next to the grove and began picking olives.
At around 8:30 A.M., three settlers passed by the grove on an ATV. They did not approach the family and left soon after, but returned about 30 minutes later with 10 more settlers, some of them masked and at least two holding wooden and metal clubs. The settlers also brought three leashed dogs with them.
The settlers ordered ‘Ayed Mashni to leave the area with his family and “not cause trouble.” After a short argument, one of the settlers picked up a rock and hit Mashni in the head with it. When the family members tried to protect him, the other settlers attacked them. After a struggle that lasted several minutes, the family managed to escape to their car and drive off. They called an ambulance, which was waiting for them when they got home and took ‘Ayed, ‘Omar, Muhammad and Hamed to hospital.
At the hospital, the doctors stitched ‘Ayed’s head wounds, and Muhammad had platinum implants inserted in his broken right leg and received treatment for dog bites on his left. Hamed, who was injured in the left ear, was treated for a tear in the eardrum, and ‘Omar received treatment for his bruised eye.
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The Mashni family after the assault. Left to right and top to bottom: 'Ayed Mashni, Muhammad Mashni, Hamed Mashni, 'Omar Mashni and 'Afaf Mashni.
Maryam and ‘Afaf drove to the hospital in the family car. A fracture was found in Maryam’s arm. ‘Afaf felt ill and after undergoing several tests, had a catheter procedure. Seven-year-old Thaer avoided physical harm as he hid behind the car during the attack, but has been afraid to sleep in his bed ever since and stays close to his mother most of the time.
While the family members were being treated in hospital, a farmer who owns a nearby plot informed them that the settlers had stolen the olives they managed to pick and vandalized their tractor. On 6 November 2022, ‘Ayed Mashni filed a complaint at the Etzion police.
It may seem that this incident can be written off as a rare assault by a gang of extremist hotheads. Yet a broader perspective reveals this kind of violence is systemic, highly prevalent and backed by the state. This is no isolated incident, but part of a policy aimed at dispossessing Palestinians of their land and damage their livelihood. Israel is pursuing this goal throughout the West Bank, with every state system participating – the justice system, the planning authorities, the military and the police. The pogrom perpetrated against the Mashni family is part of this reality, in which Palestinians remain vulnerable and defenseless.
B’Tselem field researcher Manal al-Ja’bari took testimonies from members of the family shortly after the incident:
‘Ayed Mashni (64), a father of 16, said:
This morning, 3 November 2022, at around six o’clock, we went to our grove in the al-Majales area to harvest olives. We picked olives until 8:30 A.M., and then an ATV arrived with three settlers who looked about 25 to 30 years old. They drove around the area and left. We kept on picking, and about 20 minutes later, the settlers returned on the ATV. Ten other settlers arrived with them on foot, some of them masked. Two were holding wooden and metal clubs. They brought dogs with them. The settlers headed our way and closed in on us from all directions. They ordered us in Hebrew to leave. I don’t speak much Hebrew, but I understood. I told them in Arabic that this is our land and we’re in the middle of the olive harvest.
One of the settlers ordered me aside to talk. I stepped a few meters away from my family and talked with him. He demanded that we leave the land and threatened they would attack us if we didn’t. I argued with him, and also asked they at least let us gather our equipment and the olives we already picked. Then they started pushing and swearing, and one of them picked up a stone and hit me on the head with it. I felt dizzy and started bleeding. I took a few more strong blows to my legs and body. My children and wife tried to protect me and get the settlers away. Then the settlers attacked them, too, with the dogs. I saw a dog attack my son, Muhammad, while the settlers were beating him with clubs.
The attack lasted several minutes, until we managed to run to our car. While we were driving, we called an ambulance. It met us by our house, about six kilometers from the grove. The paramedics gave us first aid. They wiped the blood off our faces and dressed the wounds. Then they drove us to the ‘Aliyah Government Hospital in Hebron, where some of us had x-rays and CT scans done. I had two deep gashes in my head, and they were stitched up. I also have wounds on my right calf, bruises all over my body, and a black eye on the right. The settlers broke Muhammad’s right leg and a dog bit his left leg. ‘Omar was punched in the right eye. ‘Afaf and Maryam followed me to the hospital. ‘Afaf had bruises from being hit with a club blows while trying to get the dog off Muhammad, and she also didn’t feel well, so they examined her heart. Maryam was hit by a stone in the right arm.
While we were in hospital, one of the farmers called and told me the settlers had stolen the olives we picked and damaged our tractor: they poured dirt in the fuel tank and cut the engine cables.
Maryam Mashni (28) said:
At around 8:30, my father and brothers were picking olives and my mother and I were gathering them when we saw an ATV with three settlers driving approaching us. They didn’t say anything, just looked at us. We ignored them and continued harvesting. The settlers left and about 20 minutes later, they returned with more than 10 other settlers, some of them masked. They were holding clubs and sticks and had dogs. The settlers ordered us to leave, but my father refused. One of the settlers told him to step aside with him. My father walked a few meters with him, and they got into an argument. Father asked that they at least let us collect our things and the olives. One of the settlers hit him on the head with a rock. My brothers tried to get the settlers off father, but they set the dog on them and attacked them with sticks and clubs. My mother and I tried to get the settlers off my father and brothers, and we were also hit several times with sticks and clubs. I was also hit by a stone in my right arm, which hurt a lot. I saw my mother fall over after one of the settlers hit her with a club, when she tried to get the dog that was biting Muhammad off him.
After several minutes, we managed to run to our car. We called a Palestinian ambulance, which met us near the house. The paramedics gave us first aid, then some of the family members went in the ambulance. My mother and I drove ourselves to ‘Aliyah Hospital. There, it turned out I had a fracture in my right arm. Mother wasn’t feeling well, and they ran tests on her.
