When Israeli settlers invaded the village of Tajamaa al-Murajaat in the West Bank on October 13, Haitham Kaabna and his family were filled with fear.
Protected by the army, the settlers carried M16 assault rifles and launched attacks on farmers, causing chaos and destruction.
Over a period of two weeks, olive trees were destroyed, cars were vandalized, and cattle were stolen, leading to the displacement of around 200 Palestinian families from Tajamaa al-Murajaat in the Jordan Valley.
Despite trying to hold their ground, Kaabna and his family were eventually forced to flee for safety when settlers invaded their home on October 26, subjecting them to violence and brutality.
According to Kaabna, the settlers even resorted to beating up women and children, including his two-year-old son, in a horrifying display of aggression.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported that since October 7, Israeli settlers have been carrying out attacks on Palestinian communities in the West Bank, resulting in the expulsion of 20 communities.
While the world’s attention has been focused on the conflict in Gaza, the forced expulsions in the West Bank have largely gone unnoticed, perpetuating a cycle of violence and displacement.
Despite some measures taken by the United States to sanction settlers and cut military aid to certain Israeli units, the attacks have continued to escalate, indicating a dire situation for the Palestinian population.
Experts and activists have raised concerns about the systematic efforts by the Israeli government to ethnically cleanse Palestinians from their villages, highlighting the urgent need for intervention.
Legitimising illegal settlements
Despite signing the Oslo Accords in 1993, Israel has continued to expand illegal settlements in the West Bank, undermining peace efforts and perpetuating conflict in the region.
Post from www.aljazeera.com