Israeli settlers emboldened by the war in Gaza have ramped up violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, say terrified locals, writes Chris Hughes in Beitin, West Bank.
Shockwaves from Israel’s hard-line approach and imminent invasion of the southern Gaza city of Rafah have been felt in the occupied West Bank.
Yesterday’s moves to urge Israel to give besieged Gaza more aid and broker a ceasefire may mean little to Ahmed Hamed on the West Bank. It will not bring back his 17-year-old son Omar.
Ahmed said the village of Beitin was attacked three times in a day by 40 marauding settlers who were armed with assault rifles and tried to torch homes. Omar was shot in the head after nightfall by retreating settlers during the third attack. A second boy was seriously injured. Devastated Ahmed, 53, said: “Local people were trying to protect their homes, unarmed.
Mirror correspondent Chris Hughes next to the remains of a truck destroyed by IDF troops in the West Bank (Andy Commins / Daily Mirror)“Omar was playing PlayStation at his aunt’s house when he heard about the attack and he went outside. The settlers retreated and he was shot in the head.
Israeli army kills nine Palestinians including elderly woman in brutal raid
“He was one of the first ones rushing to help and it is devastating for the family – especially his mother. His older brothers, aged 29, 27 and 23, treated him as their son because of the age difference. Everybody loved him.”
Beitin council president Diab Badwan, 65, believes there are now more than one million settlers. He said: “They want us Palestinians gone from this land. These settler attacks are rising since October 7.”
Ahmed holds a pictured of his son Omar Ahmed Hamed, 17, who was shot dead by Israeli soldiers (Andy Commins / Daily Mirror)In nearby Burqa, terrorised families say that armed settlers have shot three people and killed sheep. Farmer Netham Ali Abdallah, 50, said: “They burned the food for my animals and tried to burn down his farm buildings – and they slit the stomach of one of my sheep. Two of the three people they shot are still in hospital. I have had to put iron bars on my windows.”
Retired teacher Omar Assaf, 74, was seized at gunpoint at his Ramallah home at 4am and falsely accused of being a Hamas leader. He emerged from six months in jail last week, having nearly starved and lost 4st 7lb.
The occupied West Bank (Andy Commins / Daily Mirror)At the same time, his son Aws, 30, was also seized by Israeli troops nearby and also endured jail-time, wrongly accused of being a militant.
Mr Assaf said: “It was crazy. I am a former school teacher. I’m an activist but I have never practised violence and nor have I ever even held a gun.”
He shared a cell with five others and they received tiny amounts of food. Mr Assaf was so weak he fell and smashed his head. He said that medics “simply stapled the wound together”.
Hamas has been offered a 40-day ceasefire deal and the release of “potentially thousands” of Palestinian prisoners in return for freeing Israeli hostages. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken hoped Hamas will accept Israel’s “extraordinarily generous” offer.
The war on Hamas followed its October 7 attacks on Israel in which 1,200 were killed and 250 kidnapped. Since then, more than 34,000 Palestinians are reported killed, with hundreds of thousands more displaced.
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