Clad in shepherds' attire, armed Israeli settlers usurp West Bank land
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Human rights organizations warn against a surge in Israeli settler attacks and land seizures against Palestinians since the beginning of the ongoing Israeli genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
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Israeli settlers under the protection of Israeli occupation forces fire at Palestinians side-by-side in the town of Huwwara on 13 October 2022. (AFP)
Palestinians report a growing trend of armed Israeli settlers looting their lands by establishing makeshift shepherding outposts and adamantly refusing to vacate their premises in the occupied West Bank.
Recently, witnesses observed a settler arriving near sunset on a hilltop close to the village of Deir Jarir. Clad in a black shirt and a green headscarf reminiscent of Palestinian farmers, the settler's presence raised concerns among the owners of the land.
A member of a Palestinian anti-settler group said as quoted by AFP that "the settlers imitate us in every way," adding that they also employ violence and "throw stones at us and block roads."
Gazing sorrowfully across the landscape near Ramallah, Haidar Abu Makho, a 50-year-old Palestinian, observed the sight of Israeli settlers' sheep grazing on his family's hill, expressing a sense of melancholy.
He indicated that the land, where settlers' bungalows and vehicles were visible, enclosed by a wire fence, is rightfully the inheritance of his grandfather and father, intended to be preserved and passed down through successive generations.
He heartfully stressed that it "rightfully belongs to my grandfather and father and is meant to be passed down through the generations."
But now, he said, "this shepherd, who is a settler... has obstructed my access to my land".
'Hilltop youth': One facade of Israeli settler's violence
Human rights organizations revealed a surge in Israeli settler attacks and land seizures against Palestinians since the beginning of the ongoing Israeli genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Particularly extremist is the "hilltop youth" group, typically teenagers who drop out of school. They aspire to establish settlements across "the biblical land of Israel."
Israeli analyst Elhanan Miller said as quoted by AFP that the hilltop shepherds are "far-right extremists who settle Palestinian land illegally," mostly in the southern West Bank and Jordan Valley.
Miller stressed that a significant number of these settlers are marginalized youths who dropped out of school prematurely. They exploit shepherding activities involving sheep and goats as a pretext to usurp Palestinian land and exploit its natural resources.
According to rights organizations, Israeli settlers at shepherding outposts are armed and have deployed attack dogs to intimidate and assault Palestinians, resulting in the killing of livestock and destruction of property. This activity has been particularly prevalent in the vicinity of Deir Jarir, a village with approximately 5,000 Palestinians, as reported by Abu Makho.
"The settlers have effectively blocked access to vast stretches of land around Deir Jarir, preventing both agricultural use and grazing for the people across tens of kilometers," he said.
"By situating a shepherd with a flock of sheep atop a hill, a substantial portion of land is seized... denying Palestinians access to it," he added.
He further stressed that settlers had "aggressively confiscated" local Palestinian houses and tractors as well as horses and donkeys, all "symbols of the Palestinian traditional farming life."
Settlers violence under IOF protection
In a March report, the rights organization B'Tselem highlighted a surge in attacks, including instances where Israeli settlers in vehicles deliberately drove recklessly into Palestinian flocks and herds. B'Tselem also highlighted that Israeli occupation forces provided support to settler groups.
"Through cooperation and collaboration among the military, police, settlers... Israel has reduced grazing areas available to Palestinians, blocked regular water supply, and took measures to isolate the Jordan Valley from the rest of the West Bank," it said.
According to the Israeli settlement monitoring organization Peace Now, "Israel" has seized over 1,000 hectares of land in the occupied West Bank this year. In March, Israeli occupation authorities designated 800 hectares adjacent to a Palestinian farmer's residence near the Jordan Valley village of al-Jiftlik as "state land", a decision that frequently results in limitations on Palestinian access.
Palestinians in proximity to Deir Jarir also reported adverse impacts on their livelihoods, underscoring the widespread repercussions in the region.
Suleiman Khouriyeh, the mayor of the nearby village of Taybeh, population 1,800, said as quoted by AFP that the "entire eastern region has been encroached upon by numerous hilltop shepherds."
"We are unable to access the olive groves that we rightfully own" during harvest season, he said, adding that the Palestinians suffered financial losses totaling thousands of dollars.
Khouriyeh stressed that Palestinians don't have "the power or strength to confront the heavily armed" settlers.
"We are defenseless against them and their weapons."
Read more: 'Israel' steals massive land in West Bank for illegal settlements
