Dozens of extremist Jewish settlers, escorted by Israeli soldiers, raided today al-Tuwanah, one of the nine hamlets of Masafer Yatta, a Bedouin community located south of Hebron (Al-Khalil) in the occupied West Bank.
Jewish settlers from the illegal settlement of Havat Maon raided the hamlet and attempted to attack homes of the local Palestinian residents while verbally assaulting activists, said Fouad al-Amour, a local activist.
Residents and activists, he said, stood up to and engaged the settlers, resulting in one resident receiving light injuries.
Hardcore #Israeli settlers escorted by soldiers raid al-Tuwanah, one of the nine hamlets of Masafer Yatta, a #Bedouin community located south of #Hebron in the occupied West Bank, today. pic.twitter.com/QfehOCf4Md
— Quds News Network (@Qudsn_en) November 21, 2020
Israeli soldiers who were accompanying the settlers reportedly did nothing to stop the attack and rather provided the settlers with protection.
Settler violence against Palestinians and their property is routine in the West Bank and is rarely prosecuted by Israeli authorities.
“Jewish settler violence should not be analyzed separately from the violence meted out by the Israeli army, but seen within the larger context of the violent Zionist ideology that governs Israeli society entirely,” wrote Palestinian author and editor of The Palestine Chronicle, Ramzy Baroud.
Israeli Occupation Forces and settlers attack Palestinian residents of al-Tuwanah near the West Bank city of of occupied Hebron yesterday. pic.twitter.com/VKUMAZY1OP
— CJ Werleman (@cjwerleman) June 14, 2020
“Settler violence has long since become part of Palestinians’ daily life under occupation,” according to the Human Rights Group B’tselem. “Israeli security forces enable these actions, which result in Palestinian casualties – injuries and fatalities – as well as damage to land and property. In some cases, they even serve as an armed escort, or even join in the attacks”.
Between 500,000 and 600,000 Israelis live in Jewish-only settlements across occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank in violation of international law.
(Palestine Chronicle, WAFA, Social Media)
