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.

Download the monthly totals (CSV)

Displaying 2001-2015 of 2015 updates. An update can cover more than one incident.

Incident type

Area

District

Locality

Dates

From date

To date

Israeli forces present

During the olive harvest

Communities forcibly transferred or facing forced transfer

February 2020

20 February 2020 a-Jubiya (al-Farisiyah) Incidents: 1

Khirbet a-Sakut, Jordan Valley: Settlers spray wheat fields with herbicides
16 February 2020 Kh.Jib'it, al-Qabun Incidents: 1

Violently and viciously - settlers threaten shepherding communities, beat residents and steal 25 lambs
4 February 2020 اللبن الشرقية, a-Lubban a-Sharqiyah, a-Lubban a-Sharqiyah Incidents: 1

“Go to Abbas, let him compensate you!”
3 February 2020 دير دبوان, Deir Dobwan, Deir Dobwan Incidents: 1

Twenty-seven work days and tens of thousands of shekels down the drain

January 2020

31 January 2020 Khallet Makhul Incidents: 1

Khallet Makhul, Jordan Valley: Settlers harass Palestinians picking herbs and call soldiers, who detain them
31 January 2020 Kh. 'Ein al-Hilweh Incidents: 1

Khirbet ‘Ein al-Hilweh, Jordan Valley: Settlers expel shepherds and call police, who arrest them claiming they assaulted the settlers
31 January 2020 مادما, Madama, Madama Incidents: 1

Stones, tear gas and “rubber” bullets: Settlers raid Madama with full support of army
31 January 2020 سبسطية, Sabastiya, Sabastiya Incidents: 1

Shavei Shomron settlers do not stop even at concertina wire
30 January 2020 المزرعة القبلية, al-Mazra'ah al-Qibliyah, al-Mazra'ah al-Qibliyah Incidents: 1

Uninvited guests: Crashing a tree planting
28 January 2020 عينبوس, Einabus, Einabus Incidents: 1

At night, when the ‘Einabus 5th-graders were sound asleep
25 January 2020 a-Sawiyah Incidents: 1

“My father was bleeding. When the settlers saw that, they went away, as though they’d accomplished their mission”
24 January 2020 الشرافات, Sharafat, Sharafat Incidents: 1

Where mosques are burned
15 January 2020 مادما, Madama, Madama Incidents: 1

Out of Yitzhar the evil will break
8 January 2020 a-Sawiyah Incidents: 1

First and last harvest
1 January 2020 سالم, Salem, Salem Incidents: 1

700 sheep, 2 settlers, 500 trees

Settler violence log

Silwad, Ramallah District: Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian farmers on their land while soldiers looked on

28 December 2024

On Saturday, 28 December 2024, around 7:00 A.M., F.H., a 59-year-old farmer from the town of Silwad went to work on farmland belonging to his family and located west of the town along with his brother, nephew and niece.

Around noon, F.H. drove back to town in his car to get lunch and returned with another brother, ‘O.H., who was driving his own truck. As they made their way back to the family’s land, at around 12:30 P.M., the two brothers found out that settlers had attacked the family members who stayed there.

They kept driving towards the land, and as they approached, F.H. noticed a military vehicle parked near the outpost, and about 20 settlers, some masked and armed with firearms and some carrying clubs and stones. Several of the settlers advanced towards ‘O.H.’s truck, which was closer to them, and forcibly pulled him out. One settler struck him on the head with a hard object, as another was pointing his gun at him. Then, several settlers walked towards F.H., who had come out of his car, and attacked him with sticks when he tried to get away from them. Other settlers attacked him with stones, one of which hit his right leg, knocking him to the ground. At this point, the settlers pounced on him and began beating him with sticks. One settler hit him on the right leg and arm with an iron chain.

A few minutes later, an ambulance the farmers had called arrived, and the settlers fled, some on foot towards a nearby outpost and others by car, towards Route 60.

F.H. asked the paramedics to take him to the soldiers who were watching from the vehicle near the outpost to show them his injuries. When they reached the soldiers, they discovered a police officer present as well. F.H. approached him, and the officer took a picture of him and advised him to file a complaint.

The injured were taken to al-Istishari Hospital in Ramallah, where it turned out one of F.H.’s fingers was broken and his head wound required stitches. His brother had a broken rib. The settlers also vandalized several vehicles, including F.H.’s car, from which they stole a walkie-talkie and some money. They stole ‘O’s cell phone as well.

B’Tselem field researcher Mohammad Romaneh collected the testimony of F.H., 59, a father of two:

The settlers went over to my brother ‘O.’s vehicle, which was closest to them, and opened the driver’s side door. They took him out of the vehicle, closed the door, and made him stand with his back to it. One of them pointed his gun at my brother’s chest, and another went up to him and hit him in the middle of the head with a tool he was holding. I didn’t see exactly what it was. Blood started streaming down his face.
I got out of my car, and they came towards me quickly. They shouted at me to sit on the ground. I started backing away, facing the settlers. One of them threatened to shoot me. He wasn’t masked and appeared young. He was wearing dark pants, a white shirt, and a military-colored vest. He was pointing his gun at me from less than two meters away. The rest of the settlers were holding sticks and trying to get closer to me. I started shouting, ‘What’s going on? What do you want?’ I tried to speak English to them and explain I’m a Canadian citizen, but they didn’t care and kept walking towards me.
The settlers beat me with sticks as I was backing away. My arms took the blows because I was trying to shield my body. Some settlers were throwing stones at me as that was happening. In total, about 20 settlers attacked me. One of their stones hit my right leg, and I fell to my knees. At that moment, the settlers pounced on me with sticks, and one of them kicked me in the head, and then I fell flat on the ground. I felt another strong blow to the back of the head. I think one of them hit me with the butt of his rifle. I felt blood streaming from my head, but the settlers kept beating me.
While they were beating me all over my body, one of them came over to me, grabbed my right hand, and tried to force a ring off. I clenched my fist tightly, and he couldn’t do it, so he started hitting my fingers with something he was holding. I think it was a rock. Then he brought an iron chain and hit me several times on my right leg and right arm, which I was using to try to protect my face.
Then the settlers went to my car, which was a rental, smashed the windshield, and stole money and a walkie-talkie from it. They stole my brother ‘O’s cell phone.
The attack lasted about 20 minutes, until we heard an ambulance siren, and then the settlers fled. Some ran towards the outpost, and some towards my fields, where they got into their three cars, a black Nissan, a white Toyota, and another, the color and make of which I didn’t catch, and drove towards Route 60.

Damage to property (nonagricultural)
Physical assault

Settler Violence = State Violence

February 2020

January 2020

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