On Wednesday, 8 October 2025, Ayman Daraghmeh, 28, a resident of the Kh. ‘Ein al-Hilweh community, was herding cattle in harvested farm fields, with the consent of their Palestinian owners, east of the community of Khallet Khader (al-Farisiyah). The community was displaced through settler violence in August 2024. At around 10:00 A.M., three masked settlers came from the direction of the Shadmot Mehola settlement, which was established at a distance of about one kilometer to the south.
One of the settlers assaulted Daraghmeh with a stick and hit him in the shoulder, and another pepper-sprayed him in the face. The settlers also stole his cellphone. Two of his cousins, who were also herding cattle in the area, heard his shouts and came to his aid. They saw the three settlers walking away in the direction of the settlement.
Ayman’s cousins took him to a spot that was more accessible by vehicle, and with the help of an Israeli activist who arrived there, they called the police, but the officers refused to come, suggesting instead that they go to the police station to file a complaint. The officers sent an Israeli Magen David Adom ambulance, and the paramedics treated Daraghmeh. Afterwards, soldiers also arrived but did nothing.
After he recovered from the assault, Daraghmeh gathered his family’s cattle herd and returned to his home in Kh. ‘Ein al-Hilweh. His cousins stayed and continued to graze their cattle herd in the area, until around 2:00 P.M., when a military force arrived, and the soldiers told them they were not allowed to graze anywhere in the area, even though they were on private Palestinian fields. The soldiers detained one of them for no reason, handcuffed him, blindfolded him and took him to a military base. He was held at the base until around 8:00 P.M. and released next to it, on Route 90, where he hailed a passing car to return home.