March 2020

On 7 March 2020, about 15 settlers, including the armed chief of security of Yitzhar, entered the village of Madama and started hurling stones at houses. Residents who heard the commotion went outside to see what was happening. As in other cases, some 15 soldiers summoned there began firing live rounds in the air and tear-gas canisters at the residents who had gathered to defend their homes.

In a verbal exchange that ensued, the soldiers detained a B’Tselem volunteer who was documenting the incident, confiscated his and another volunteer’s cameras and gave them to Yitzhar’s chief of security, who then erased some footage of the incident. Read more....

Madama, 7 March 2020: Settlers attack home, soldiers fire live rounds in the air and tear-gas canisters at residents.

On Saturday, 7 March 2020, at around midday, ‘Ali ‘Eid (16) and his brother Osama (20) were at home on the eastern side of the village. Suddenly, about eight settlers started throwing stones at the house, shattering two windows and a security camera. The home is a target as it lies on the outskirts of the village, about a kilometer from the settlement of Har Bracha and the outpost of Giv’at Sneh Ya’akov, and about two kilometers from the settlement of Yitzhar. When the settlers started to withdraw, Ali opened a window to see what was going on. In response, a soldier fired a stun grenade at him. Village residents then gathered around the house to check on ‘Ali and his brother. The two climbed up to the roof to reassure the residents they weren't injured. When the soldiers noticed them, they began firing live rounds at them, and also fired tear-gas canisters and stun grenades at the residents gathered around the house. ‘Ali and his brother went back into the house, fortunately unharmed. 

Burin, 7 March 2020: Settlers attack home at edge of village, soldiers open live fire at occupants.

On 5 March 2020, while 'Umran Abu 'Alia and his family were busy milking their sheep, settlers arrived and snuck into the lambs, held 100 meters away from the lambs pen, and stole 25 lambs.

This followed a settler raid on the community’s tents several days earlier on the false grounds that residents had stolen sheep from them, although the settlers found nothing

. 

Khirbet Jib’it, 5 March 2020: Settlers steal 25 lambs.

On the morning of 2 March 2020, Taysir Naji (70) went to his olive grove, located west of the village, as he does every day. The settlement of Pedu’el was built about three kilometers from the grove, across the valley. When he got there, he found some 12 olive seedlings uprooted and lying on the ground and a group of about 40 settlers, including women, children and armed men.

Naji went up to one of the settlers, who was carrying a rifle, and asked why the seedlings had been broken. The settler denied the claim, threatened Naji and demanded he leave. Fearing for his safety, Naji left, alerted his son and reported what had happened to the village council.

After about 15 minutes, Naji’s son, ‘Abed (24), arrived. He went over to the settlers and asked them to leave the family’s grove. The settlers refused and in the ensuing argument, one drew his weapon and threatened ‘Abed. At that point, about 15 village residents arrived and the settlers left. Naji filed a complaint with the Palestinian DCO but has yet to hear back from the Israeli authorities.

Kafr a-Dik, 2 March 2020: Armed settlers “hike” with children in resident’s grove and break branches.

Jamal Salameh, 60, from the Palestinian village of Bruqin, has high-yielding land. Three years ago, he planted 100 olive trees, which grow alongside pomegranate, fig, loquat, and guava trees and vegetable crops. Salameh visits his plot daily and when he arrived there on Sunday, 1 March 2020, he immediately noticed something was amiss: 20 olive and 60 cucumber seedlings had been uprooted and the branches of three olive trees broken. A shepherd from the village who passed by said he had seen three settlers in the plot the day before.

Salameh replanted the olive seedlings and notified the municipality of Bruqin and the ministry of agriculture in Salfit of the damage. 

Two years ago, 40 olive trees were destroyed in Salameh’s plot; nine years ago, settlers set fire to some 400 olive trees on farmland belonging to residents of Bruqin, including Salameh. They were then spotted fleeing towards the settlement of Bruchin.

In a testimony he gave to B’Tselem field researcher Abdulkarim Sadi, Salameh described the settlers’ damage to Palestinian property in the Bruqin area:

“This recurring aggression has one purpose – to remove me from the land, so that I don’t work the land or raise crops on it. The settlers want the land for themselves. They want to prevent my access and take it over. I am determined to keep cultivating my land, even if the violent acts continue. In the past, I filed complaints but there were no results. This time I decided not to file a complaint because I’m convinced they will do nothing to the perpetrators and I won’t get any justice”. 

Brukin, 1 March 2020 – settlers uproot and break dozens of olive and cucumber seedlings.