In Part Two of the in-depth article from the Intercept on Israel’s decades-long campaign against Palestinians, read about how the Israeli military partners with settlers, using harassment, violence, and clandestine moves, to control Palestinian land. Palestinians are left with noncontiguous “Bantustans,” where they are still unable to live in peace.
The Intercept recently featured an in-depth article describing Israel’s decades-long campaign of discrimination and violence against Palestinians – in a way that begins to capture the magnitude of the injustice. The many forms of mistreatment require a lengthy article. IAK has broken it into four manageable parts which we will release over the next several days.
In Part One, read about the case of the hamlets of Masafer Yatta, where Israeli policy is trying to force Palestinians to leave – either by discriminatory legislation or intimidation and violence.
Israeli violence made January 2023 the bloodiest month for West Bank Palestinians in 8 years – including murders, injuries, land theft, building demolitions, and more. 7 Israelis have also been killed.
In 2022, Israeli soldiers and settlers are responsible for the highest monthly average of Palestinians killed since the UN started counting fatalities in 2005; October also saw Israeli soldiers/settlers carry out almost 1,200 attacks against Palestinians.
While he was working on his land, a group of Israeli settlers armed with sticks, metal pipes, and M16s attacked Hafez Huraini and his son Muhammad. Hafez was badly injured, and both of his arms were broken. When a Palestinian ambulance arrived to evacuate him, the settlers slashed the tires, but the Israeli soldiers arrested Huraini, claiming he had hurt one of the settlers.
As Israeli settlers trespassed on Palestinian land and attacked the owners – and Israeli security looked on – one settler stabbed Ali Hassan Harb in the heart. The Israeli military then blocked him from being transported to the hospital until it was too late to save him.
Dozens of Israeli settlers swooped down in an act of violence on a Palestinian family tending its olive grove – throwing stones and beating them. Three Palestinians were wounded; the eldest remains hospitalized. When the family filed a complaint, they were interrogated for allegedly throwing rocks.
Ahmad Al-Manasra has been in Israeli prison since age 13, and suffers from prison-related mental illness. A hearing to review the now 21-year-old Manasra’s case is being held today.
Israeli soldiers’ and settlers’ efforts to torment Palestinians continue unabated in the new year: attacks, home demolitions, land expropriation, abductions, invasions, and more impede daily life in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza.
Israel has outdone itself in 2021 – destroying large swaths of Gaza, shooting to kill Palestinian protesters, endangering Palestinian children, and more. Here is a rundown of the year’s violence, covered by numerous IAK posts – with hopes that together, we can work to bring justice and peace in 2022.