Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip have been steadily increasing in the past few weeks. These settlers have generally acted with impunity, as the Israeli military and court system historically have been reluctant to arrest, try, and punish settlers for violence they commit against Palestinian civilians. As a result, settlers are virtually free to carry out intimidation, assaults against people and property, and even murder against the Palestinian population.
The existence of Israeli settlements in the Occupied Territories violates both international law and particular international agreements Israel is signed on. According to Article 49 of the fourth Geneva Convention it is prohibited to transfer civilians of an occupying power to the territory occupied.
Since the Oslo accord in 1993, the number of settlers in the West Bank and Gaza has doubled to 200,000, not including approximately 200,000 settlers now living in East Jerusalem. The building during Barak's government has actually escalated, with 14,000 settlers added and tenders issued for building 4,000 units last year alone, compared with 3,000 units a year built under Netanyahu. Compared to 1999, in the year 2000 there has been a 96% increase in settlement building.
Israel has continually expropriated large amounts of land from Palestinians for the settlement of Jewish civilians, in order to change the demography of the area and create irreversible facts on the ground.
The AIC has been monitoring settler violence, and now introduces a regular updated report.
Report XIV December 30, 2000 -January 6, 2001
On December 30:
-Settlers uprooted 90 citrus trees in the Wadi Qana area in the village of Dir Istia in Salfeet.
-Three Palestinian citizens were injured when armed settlers attacked their cars near the settlement of Tapuah.
-Tens of armed settlers from Shevi Shomron and Einav blocked the main road connecting the West Bank cities of Jenin and Nablus and attacked passing Palestinian civilians.
On January 1:
-Tahreer Suleiman Riziq (aged 22) from the village of Hizma near Jerusalem was shot in the head and killed by a settler near a bypass road running close to the village. According to many eyewitnesses two cars stopped on the main entrance to the village and three settlers stepped out of the cars. They opened fire on Palestinian residents near their houses, killing Tahreer.
-At 3:00 p.m. tens of settlers entered Bait Dajan village in the Nablus area and opened fire on houses and electricity cables. Some windows have been broken and the electricity supply cut off. The local council chairman of the village, Naser Abu Hashesh, said the electricity in the village was cut off for one whole day.
-At 4 a.m. physician Waleed Hasan Ewaina from Battir village in the district of Bethlehem was wounded in the head and hands after settlers attacked his car on bypass road 60 while he was returning home. He was taken to Al-yamama hospital.
-Fifteen settlers from Ofrah took over a hill close to Palestinian houses in Eyn-Yabroud village and brought 4 caravans to the site. They also threw stones at houses and attempted to set fire to them. Many windows of cars and houses have been broken.
-Waleed Hamdan (aged 20) from the town of Ya'bod was attacked by settlers on the main road. He was wounded in the head and taken to Jenin Hospital for treatment.
-About 30 settlers crowded around the main entrance of Shoufa village in the north of the West Bank and prevented the residents from going out or coming in to the village for approximately three hours.
On January 4:
-At 10 a.m. settlers closed the road between Nablus and Qalqilya near Kufur Kaddom for two hours.
-Tens of settlers from Elon-Moreh closed the main entrance to the town of Bait Fourik in the Nablus area.
-An employee of the Palestinian Red Crescent Mohammed Kamal Jennawi was wounded after a settler hit his head with a stone. Mohammed was taken to Rafidya Hospital in Nablus. The incident took place after soldiers at the checkpoint near Hawwara stopped the Red Crescent ambulance and ordered Mohammed to get out of the ambulance. He did as he was ordered and while a soldier was checking his papers one of seven settlers who were at the checkpoint attacked him with a stone and injured him in the head.
-Tens of armed settlers stoned Palestinian vehicles traveling on the main road connecting the West Bank towns of Salfeet, Ramallah and Jericho, injuring a driver and damaging several cars.
On January 5:
-Armed settlers uprooted tens of olive trees in Rass Karkar village to the West of Ramallah.
On January 6:
-At 2 p.m. settlers attacked a Palestinian vehicle near the settlement of Halameesh. A 35 year old Palestinian woman was injured when a stone hit her chest