Goats poisoned by settlers in the community of Badu a-Mu’arrajat (Mleihat). Photo: ‘Aref Daraghmeh, B’Tselem
On Thursday, 11 September 2024, around 9:00 P.M., the Mleihat family noticed settlers coming out of their livestock enclosure and leaving the community. Settlers frequently invade the community and wander among the houses and tents. The family members initially thought this was another such incident, and just checked to see that the animals were in the enclosure. However, about half an hour later, goats started dropping to the ground unconscious. The family called a veterinarian who arrived at the scene, diagnosed that the goats had been poisoned, and gave them antidote injections. However, 83 of the 300 goats in the pen died despite the treatment.
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.
