The goat killed by the car passengers. Photo courtesy of local residents
On Monday, 22 April 2024, while Khalil Abu ‘Arram (73) was grazing his flock on his land, five settlers arrived in a car, got out, and threw smoke grenades. Abu ‘Arram fled toward a nearby house, and then another car arrived with two more settlers and two people in military uniforms. One of the passengers fired two bullets, killing one of Abu ‘Arram’s goats. They then returned to the car and drove away.
Israel’s regime of apartheid and occupation is inextricably bound up in human rights violations. B’Tselem strives to end this regime, as that is the only way forward to a future in which human rights, democracy, liberty and equality are ensured to all people, both Palestinian and Israeli, living between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.
Since the Hamas attack on 7 October 2023, Israel has acted in a coordinated and deliberate manner to destroy Palestinian society in the Gaza Strip, committing genocide against its residents. In light of Israel’s actions in Gaza, the public statements made by Israeli decision-makers, and the international community’s failure to take effective action, there is a serious risk that the Israeli regime will expand the genocide to other areas under its control—first and foremost, the West Bank.
B’Tselem calls on the Israeli public and the international community to use every tool available under international law to bring an immediate end to Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people.