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17 JULY—“I can see things are getting worse.” These are words sent yesterday via WhatsApp by my contact in Kisan, a village of some 700 people located 11 kilometers southeast of the city of Bethlehem. I see the truth of this in the texts I receive daily from friends and correspondents throughout the West Bank. The situation is grim and grows grimmer with each passing day as the genocidal “Jewish state” escalates its ethnic-cleansing project throughout the entirety of Occupied Palestine.
What I report below marks an intensification of what is by now an established pattern of land theft, harassment, and numerous acts of terrorism carried out by Zionist Jews—Israeli Occupation Forces and the settlers they protect.
All of this while the starvation siege and bombing of Gaza continues.
West Bank Alerts is dedicated to providing reportage as close to the ground as possible. This is our contribution to the Palestinian cause. We are among the very few publication able to bring reports of this kind to western readers: first-person accounts from West Bank Palestinians living in refugee camps and rural areas—the people directly impacted, those who take great risks documenting Zionist crimes. Our intent is to humanize the dehumanized while exposing readers to the ever-escalating crimes of the dehumanizers.
What follows are recent updates sent as texts by Adnan al–Abayat, a resident of Kisan who documents settler and I.O.F. violence in his community. Abayat monitors the surrounding agriculture and grazing land, which has belonged to the families of Kisan for centuries, driving to remote locations when an attack is under way. Over many years, Abayat has created a large digital archive of photographic and video evidence of crimes committed by settlers and soldiers alike. His first report for West Bank Alerts was published 16 April under the title “Poisoning the ‘Holy Land.’”
Most of the incidents reported below occurred in or near a small Bedouin community—a “gathering,” to use Adnan’s word—known as Deir Alla. This tiny rural community is composed of several herding families, each with a permanent home along with pens and sheds for their animals. Deir Alla is part of the larger Kisan community and is located on land historically belonging to Kisan. Mothers, fathers, children, and grandparents call Deir Alla home.
All of what follows was reported and dispatched by Abayat. With each entry I include the time it was sent from the West Bank, time-stamped EEST, Eastern European Summer Time. The interpolations are mine, provided for clarification.
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Kisan and Deir Alla.
Deir Alla is located 3 kilometers from the Ma'ale Amos settlement. It is from here that Jewish settlers descend upon the remote community to terrorize people, kill animals, and advance their illegitimate hold over historic Palestinian land. Whenever an attack occurs, I.O.F. soldiers show up to participate, actively or sometimes passively but always to defend and protect the settlers. Palestinian resistance or self-defense is severely punished. Previous updates from Deir Alla were published 10 June under the title, “West Bank impunities.”
The map bellow locates Kisan, circled in red, relative to Bethlehem and Hebron. The second map identifies the location of the illegal Ma'ale Amos settlement and Deir Alla relative to Kisan.
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Text, 3 July, 8:16 p.m. EEST: “Settlers’ provocations are increasing, with attacks on citizens’ property in the Deir Alla area, southeast of the village of Kisan. Jewish herders set their livestock loose on the homes of residents on a daily basis, amidst the escalation in their terrorist attacks on the area and its inhabitants.”
The following two photos, screenshots taken toward the end of the video above, show the same herder ducking and hiding behind a rock. This Jewish settler is using his herd to trespass on Palestinian land. He makes his presence known as he spies on the family he’s targeting.
His behavior is routine. It’s a typical method of Zionist intimidation and harassment throughout the West Bank. Imagine, for a moment, the mental and emotional toll it takes on Palestinian families and children. This is a form of psychological terrorism.
The screenshot below shows the targeted home. The Bedouin land is what the herder wants. This land and home are what he—and all Zionist Israelis—intend to steal, one way or another.
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Text, 5 July, 11:15 p.m. EEST: “This evening, settler herders attacked the Deir Alla Bedouin community located southeast of Kisan with the support of the occupation forces, beating and shooting Palestinian residents. Three young men from the community were arrested, Aref Al-Abayat, Fadi Al-Abayat, and Yousef Al-Abayat. They were taken to an unknown location amid the fierce assault, which included attacks against the residents, their property, and livestock.”
The following video, taken after the attack, shows settlers leaving the scene of their crime. I.O.F. solders, who protected the settlers as they engaged in what amounts to a pogrom, stand around watching. Jewish herders can be seen leaving the area with a large flock of goats. These herds, frequently driven through a community at the beginning of a settler attack, are used as a pretext for Jews to call the I.O.F.
Having trespassed on Palestinian land with their animals, settlers call in the I.O.F., claiming to be under attack by Arabs. Again, this is standard operating procedure. The lies are part of the Zionist joke.
Palestinians aren’t allowed to defend themselves from attack. Anyone who attempt to do so is either arrested, beaten, or shot. All of the men arrested during this attack were relatives of Adnand’s, his brother among them. The men were beaten before and after arrest. They were subsequently held for five days. They were fed a starvation diet, which consisted of four pieces of bread each day with a smearing of yogurt. Ultimately they were forced to pay a fine of 1,000 shekels for their release.
No settlers were arrested for attacking the community.
The photograph below shows settlers leaving the scene of their crime.
It takes a lot of Occupation soldiers to protect a gang of Zionist thugs:
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Text, 10 July, 11:44 a.m. EEST: “Last night, 16-year-old Awad Ibrahim Ahmed Ghazal Munsef sustained several serious injuries and fractures after falling off his bicycle when a settler attempted to run him over in a car. This happened on the main street adjacent to the village. He was transferred to a hospital in Hebron for treatment.”
A separate source in Hebron reports that the boy remains hospitalized in stable but critical condition, as of today’s date. He sustained a severe head injury.
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Text, 13 July, 11:41 a.m. EEST: “A number of settlers set up a tent this morning on private Palestinian land. This tent is located on the western side of the village of Kisan.”
Pitching a tent, anywhere on a hilltop on Palestinian land—and it is always a hilltop—marks the beginning of an illegal outpost, which in time will become a recognized settlement. From the outpost, settlers spy on nearby villages and home, launch raids, and steal Palestinian animals and agricultural equipment. They terrorize Palestinian herders by chasing them in all-terrain vehicles, setting dogs on them, and, when that fails to drive Palestinians away, Jewish settlers shoot at them, or call in the I.O.F. to do it for them.
There is no meaningful difference between settlers and soldiers. Settlers are inducted into the I.O.F. and given uniforms and military weaponry. They frequently attack Palestinians while dressed in uniforms. Curiously, the Zionist army doesn’t give settlers military boots and so their shoes give them away.
Text, 13 July, 11:41 a.m. EEST: “In light of the fierce attack of 5 July against the residents of Deir Alla, settlers stormed the community again this afternoon. They attacked residents and property with the support of the occupation army. They stole agricultural equipment. Deir Alla residents face constant provocations.”
When I asked Adnan about the photo below, he explained:
“They are settlers who stole equipment from the sheep pen. This equipment is for feeding young sheep and a tool for making yogurt from milk.”
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Text, 14 July, 11:03 p.m. EEST: “The house of Ahmed Nassar Mohammed Rashaida was burned by settlers at dawn today after they threw a Molotov cocktail and broke the house windows.”
This house is among those of the Deir Alla Bedouin grouping. It is the most remote of the houses, farthest away from the other homes, and so most vulnerable to attack. Children were present at the time.
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All that is published under West Bank Alerts, frequently republished here and at Winter Wheat, has taken on additional significance beyond its contribution of reportage: However modestly, it documents and archives a partial record of Israel’s criminality, impunity, continued violation of international law, and disregard of all norms of civilized society. And this: from the experiences of ordinary Palestinians, living in locations not generally known about or reported on. It’s a record for future historians and—one can hope—criminal trials.
Note to reader: An anonymous aid organizations in Hebron has promised to build a new and separate road for village use only, as a way to protect the children of Kisan from settler attacks. I know this organization well and have worked with it on past projects with success. If any reader is moved to make a donation to the Kisan road project, please send me an email: winterwheat7@gmail.com
Published simultaneously at West Bank Alerts and Winter Wheat.
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Sick genocidal psychopaths must be brought to justice! They have been getting away with murders since the 1st genocide in 1936 but the world is waking up finally.
What makes a person so cruel as to engage in this type of destructive behavior..?