Israelis forcing Palestinians out of West Bank villages
4 Min Read
Abu Bashar, a leader from the village Wadi al-Seeq, who escaped with dozens of other families to Taybeh, said they were "paying for what happened," on October 7.
-
A woman from Wadi al-Seeq walks toward temporary shelters set up in the nearby town of Taybeh where the villagers have taken refuge after being thrown off their village by Israeli settlers. (AFP)
On October 12, the village of Wadi al-Seeq in the West Bank was forcefully driven out by Israeli settlers within one hour.
Wadi al-Seeq is a Palestinian shepherds' community located around 10 kilometers (six miles) east of Ramallah. All 200 residents had escaped on foot, taking their sheep and goats with them and taking refuge in nearby shelters near the town of Taybeh.
Residents told AFP that some were local settlers dressed in army uniforms who had harassed the community on a daily basis, while others wore civilian clothing, with police and Israeli occupation forces (IOF) present.
The IOF has yet to respond to AFP requests for comment.
Abu Bashar, a leader from the village, who escaped with dozens of other families to Taybeh, stated that they were "paying for what happened," on October 7.
On October 7, the Palestinian Resistance movement Hamas announced the launching of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood following a barrage of rockets fired and an infiltration operation into Gaza Envelope settlements. To completely cut off the Gaza Strip, home to over two million people, "Israel" initiated an aggression and issued an order to cut off fuel, food, and water supplies. Thousands of people have been murdered and injured during the Israeli aggression on Gaza.
Read more: How 'Israel' likely killed its own settlers on October 7: The Grayzone
Violence has surged against Palestinians in the West Bank since "Israel" began its brutal aggression on the Gaza Strip. Since then, more than 100 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank, mostly during raids by Israeli occupation forces or settlers, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
On Saturday, a Palestinian man was killed by an illegal Israeli settler, according to the Palestinian health ministry. The killer was an off-duty Israeli occupation soldier.
The ministry also announced three Palestinians were martyred in the West Bank after they were shot by the IOF at dawn on Sunday.
According to the Palestinian Health Ministry’s statement, the three martyrs are Naeem Mahmoud Abdel Salam Farran (31 years old), Jalal al-Din Iqtishat (32 years old), Nasser Abdel Latif Izzat Barghouti (29 years old).
In total, this brings the number of Palestinians martyred by Israeli fire since October 7, in the West Bank alone, to 114, with over 1,900 wounded.
Alia Mlihat, who lives in Muarrajat, another Bedouin village near Ariha and Ramallah, expressed "We don't sleep anymore, it's a nightmare," explaining to AFP that settlers have more weapons now.
"We're living through a new Nakba because of settlers and the army," Alia remarked.
Nowhere else to go
Abu Bashar told AFP that all the family's belongings were left in Wadi al-Seeq, citing that he has "nowhere else to go."
After the families had been expelled for a week, the IOF claimed they could go back to retrieve their things.
After the families returned, they found that all of their things were ruined.
"Everything was destroyed. The bags of food for the animals were dumped out on the ground," Abu Bashar recalled.
While observing the site, AFP discovered plundered homes with wardrobes empty, children's mattresses destroyed, curtains ripped, and documents, shoes, and toys strewn on the floor.
According to AFP correspondents, civilian vehicles moved in and near the hamlet, some of which displayed Israeli flags.
"There is a long-term plan to drive us out and take our land, and they took this opportunity to do it while everyone is watching Gaza."
He believes the settlers are "taking advantage" of the circumstances to continue removing Palestinians from territory C, which refers to an administrative territory controlled directly by the Israeli military that covers 60% of the West Bank.
Settlers receive strong support from officials in Benjamin Netanyahu's government and the IOF does not interfere when settlers engage in violence against Palestinians.
-
AFP correspondents saw ransacked homes with wardrobes emptied, children's beds broken, curtains torn and papers, sandals, and toys scattered across the floor. (AFP)
