As reported by The Guardian, Palestinians and activists forcibly expelled from the village of Mughayyir al-Deir have recounted scenes of terror and abuse at the hands of Israeli settlers, describing how they were “hunted” across a West Bank valley by armed settlers wielding pistols, rifles, and batons.

The victims, including a 14-year-old Palestinian boy, were hospitalized for their injuries following the assault. As reported by The Guardian, one of the most harrowing episodes of Israeli settler violence in the West Bank unfolded in broad daylight.

The attack occurred as the final homes in Mughayyir al-Deir, east of Ramallah, were being dismantled after settlers had forcibly driven out the remaining residents in a matter of days. According to The Guardian, among the attackers were settlers connected to an illegal outpost located barely 100 meters from Palestinian homes.

The outpost had been established by settlers, including two men recently sanctioned by the UK for their involvement in violence against Palestinians.

Though illegal outposts have long been a tool of harassment, implanting one virtually inside a Palestinian village marked a new level of audacity. Rights groups warned, as reported by The Guardian, that this signaled growing settler impunity and increasing state tolerance for open land seizures.

Photographer documents assault before being beaten and robbed

Avishay Mohar, a photographer for B’Tselem, the Israeli information centre of "human rights", managed to hide memory cards with visual evidence just moments before he was beaten and robbed. His cameras, phone, wallet, and car keys were also stolen during the assault.

As reported by The Guardian, Mohar said: "I went to document the residents fleeing the village. Settlers now living in the new outpost began provoking them throughout the day."

The report adds that the settlers launched their attack on Saturday as Palestinians dismantled the last structures. Activists called both the army and the police. A military truck soon arrived, dispersing the settlers temporarily. However, once soldiers withdrew, the attack resumed with even greater violence.

Violence escalates after military withdrawal

Settlers reportedly climbed onto the roof of a livestock shed being dismantled and attempted to push Palestinians off. “At that point, the Palestinians tried to defend themselves,” Mohar said, as reported by The Guardian.

“Stones were thrown on both sides. Then the settlers started making calls, asking others to come quickly, claiming they were under attack.”

Within minutes, dozens more settlers, many masked, arrived aboard trucks and ATVs, some armed with batons, pistols, and long rifles. The Guardian confirmed that at least three settlers were armed, escalating the violence rapidly.

“One of the Palestinians got hit by a rock in the face and started bleeding. Then I saw a settler who had a gun fall to the ground. Another settler took the gun and started shooting. It was a pistol,” Mohar said, as reported by The Guardian. “They were not shooting in the air.”

Teenager attacked by drone; escape route blocked

Mlehat, a 47-year-old Palestinian father, said his teenage son Omar had been filming the attack when a settler drone was used to pursue them. “They beat my son Omar on the head,” he said, adding that “He was left bleeding for more than half an hour on the scene,” The Guardian reported.

As the settlers opened fire, both activists and Palestinians fled into a nearby valley. According to The Guardian, Mohar was struck by a rock, caught by two settlers, and beaten before they stole everything he had on him, including his backpack and wallet. “They searched my pants and took my keys,” he added.

Settlers surround victims, smash phones, beat detainees

When the group reached the main road, they found themselves surrounded. “The settlers were still shooting and ordered us to come over,” Mohar said, as reported by The Guardian, “We had no choice. They smashed our phones and made us sit down before beating us with batons and rocks. I was kicked on the back, head, and eyes.”

“I was sure that they were going to kill me,” Mohar said, adding, “Then I heard one of the settlers say, ‘Don’t kill him, he’s Jewish, hit him in the balls.’

They tried to, but I managed to flip onto my belly.” The Guardian confirmed that all victims were left lying on the ground until ambulances arrived. Ten people were injured, some with multiple fractures.

'This is a state project,' says B’Tselem photographer

“This is all part of a project of ethnic cleansing in the West Bank,” Mohar said, as reported by The Guardian. “It’s not just rogue settlers. This is a state project. If there was political will to stop these attacks, it would have ended in a minute.”

Two of the settlers involved in the broader campaign, Neria Ben Pazi and Zohar Sabah, had recently been sanctioned by the UK. Though not present during this particular assault, The Guardian reported their direct role in establishing the illegal outpost that preceded the violence.

“We lost 25 homes,” said Mlehat. “The entire community was displaced. These settlers are terrorists. They don’t care if you are a child or an adult, a man or a woman.

We are all legitimate targets to them. What can we do?” As reported by The Guardian, many of those forced out had already experienced displacement when their families were expelled from areas near Be’er Sheva in 1948.