On Sunday morning, 13 October 2024, around 7:30 A.M., a settler carrying a handgun waited along the path that children from the al-Mehtiwish community walk to get to school in the Khan al-Ahmar community. When the children encountered him, he introduced himself as the guard of the settlement outpost recently established two months ago about 200 meters from the community of Khan al-Ahmar (the school). He stopped the six children from continuing and demanded they change the path they take to school, threatening that otherwise, dogs that would be released along the route would attack them. Community residents called the Israel Police. Police officers only arrived an hour or so later, and agreed with the settler that the children would be required to take a longer, rougher path to school.
Since the outpost was established, settlers have attacked children from the al-Mehtiwish community twice on their way to school, most recently on 2 October.
The Khan al-Ahmar school has 25 students between the ages of 5 and 15, from Khan al-Ahmar and from four other communities in the area: al-Mehtiwish, al-Ka’abneh, al-Hilu and Abu Falah. The children walk to school across rough terrain unsuitable for cars.