Live fire and stone-throwing: Settlers seize eight homes in Jericho
The UN reports dozens of Palestinians fled their properties on Wednesday as the Israeli military blocked humanitarian access to the closed zone.
By Fatou Kim ·
Dozens of people were forced to flee their homes on Wednesday when Israeli settlers took control of eight Palestinian houses on the outskirts of Jericho. The United Nations confirmed that some displaced families now lack adequate shelter following the seizure in the occupied West Bank.
Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, briefed reporters on Thursday about the incident. He stated that settlers fired live ammunition, assaulted residents, and threw stones. Dujarric said families fled to protect themselves from the violence. The Israeli military subsequently designated the area a closed military zone, which prevented humanitarian workers from reaching the affected population.
Peace Now, an Israeli settlement watchdog, reported that approximately 30 settlers arrived in Ein a-Duyuk a-Tahta on Wednesday afternoon to take over the properties. The group said the settlers assaulted and robbed two Israeli activists during the takeover. Peace Now also reported that a Palestinian man was shot in the leg during the incident.
Hanan Greenwood, a settler representative, told the AFP that the right-wing Israeli organization Nachala purchased all eight homes with assistance from his group. Nachala finances new settlements in the West Bank and advocates for Israeli annexation of the territory. Greenwood said the settlers maintain the properties were legally purchased. However, Palestinian officials dispute this claim, stating the sale documents were forged.
Hussein Hamayel, the governor of the Jericho region, rejected the validity of the sale. He told the AFP that the land belongs to the Palestinian Authority and cannot be sold. Hamayel described the transaction as a forgery and dismissed the claims circulating about the purchase as settler propaganda.
The disputed land is located in Area C of the West Bank, which has been under Israeli control since the Oslo Accords in the 1990s. Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967. More than 500,000 Israelis currently live in settlements across the territory, which are illegal under international law. Settler violence in the West Bank has neared record levels this year, with several Palestinian communities in the wider Jericho area already driven from their homes.
Peace Now noted that similar conditions exist in Hebron, where 400 settlers live in the Old City among 250,000 Palestinians. The group said the Israeli presence there has brought persistent friction and violence, restricted Palestinian freedom of movement, and contributed to the displacement of thousands of people.
