## Summary of the situation in At-Tuwani (West Bank): ### Context and Location: At-Tuwani is a Palestinian farming village located in the southern West Bank near Hebron, home to approximately 1,600 people. Since Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, violence against Palestinian villagers has escalated dramatically. **Increased Settler Violence Post-October 7:** Following Hamas’s attack, Israel’s military presence in the West Bank increased, as well as settler aggression towards Palestinians. Settler violence, particularly by extremist groups, intensified. Incidents such as raids, destruction of property, and shootings became more frequent, aimed at displacing Palestinians from their land. Settlers have been emboldened, forming quasi-military forces and gaining new powers, such as the authority to arrest and declare closed military zones. ### Incidents in At-Tuwani: **October 12, 2023:** Settlers set up an observation post on land belonging to the Hureini family, cutting branches from fig trees and grapevines. When villagers confronted them, they were threatened with guns. **October 13, 2023:** A settler shot Zakariya Adra, a resident, in the stomach during an altercation. The shooting was filmed, and the settler faced no immediate consequences, though his gun license was revoked. **Januari 28, 2025,** A resident, Mohsab, was bringing building materials to his house with a truck when a settler approached and tried to intimidate him by saying that this building activity was not allowed. The settler then tried to use his qun to shoot the tires of the truck. **Impact on Agriculture and Livelihoods:** Attacks on crops and livestock have become more frequent, particularly during key points in the agricultural calendar, making farming nearly impossible for Palestinian villagers. Families in At-Tuwani have struggled to harvest their olives, plough their land, or graze livestock due to threats from settlers. **Human Rights Violations and Displacement:** Since October 7, more than 1,600 Palestinians have been displaced due to settler violence and military restrictions, including nearly 800 children. Settlers in At-Tuwani continue to intimidate villagers, obstruct their daily lives, and in some cases, threaten their survival. **Settler Communities:** Nearby Israeli settlements like Ma’on and its outpost Havat Ma’on are known for their violence against Palestinians. These outposts are illegal even under Israeli law but remain active and often unregulated. Settler ideology in some areas is deeply extremist, with leaders like **Yehoshafat Tor** openly advocating violence against Palestinians. **International Legal Context:** The expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank is widely regarded as illegal under international law. The Geneva Conventions prohibit the transfer of an occupying power’s civilians into occupied territory. A July 2023 advisory ruling by the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories illegal. **Crowdfunding and Demolitions** : In late 2022, Tor, a resident of Havat Ma’on, launched a crowdfunding campaign to pay off debts and complained about ongoing conflicts during Shabbat. He reported the theft of sheep worth about $130,000. Previously, the Israeli government had demolished buildings he and his wife built, a rare enforcement of demolition orders in illegal outposts. **Settler Violence Denial** : Veteran settler leader Daniella Weiss denied that settlers instigate violence against Palestinians, claiming that no Jew starts conflicts with Arabs. She argued that the controversy over settlers is part of a plan to create a Palestinian state, which she opposes. **Support from One Israel Fund**: The settlements of Ma’on and Havat Ma’on are supported by the U.S. charity *One Israel Fund*, which provides security equipment. Eve Harow, the fund’s tourism director, claimed these settlements prevent the creation of a “Jihadist entity” and protect Israel from potential massacres like those on October 7. **The Israeli military is closely linked to settlers**, with many soldiers coming from settlements. After the October 7 attacks, settlers were further mobilized to defend their communities. **In the West Bank near At-Tuwani, it’s often difficult to distinguish between soldiers and settler**s, as many settlers don military-style uniforms. Activists note that some settlers mobilized in recent months are more aggressive than regular soldiers, wearing far-right symbols like the Third Temple movement patch, symbolizing extremist beliefs about controlling religious sites in Jerusalem. **Betzalel Taljah's role:** Settler and Israeli military reservist. He leads a battalion responsible for security of 24 settlements, including Ma’on and Havat Ma’on. Blurs the distinction between settlers and military forces. He wears patches combining the Israeli flag with far-right symbols like the Punisher skull. Known for aggressive interactions with Palestinians and activists. He has intimidated farmers, searched phones for Gaza-related content, and used violence during confrontations. Frequently escalates tensions, often screaming and pointing his gun at Palestinians. He used to detained Palestinian shepherds and declared their grazing land a closed military zone for 30 days, depriving them of essential resources. **Historical context :** Since Israel occupied the West Bank in 1967, settlers have focused on expanding control, particularly in Area C, under full Israeli military authority. Many settlers believe they have a religious right to the land, while others move for economic reasons. Dror Etkes of Kerem Navot estimates settlers have taken over 37,000 acres of Palestinian land since October 7. In response to rising settler violence, the international community, including the U.S. and EU, has imposed sanctions on several settlers and groups. [https://ig.ft.com/west-bank/](url)

Khirbet Zanuta, a community in the southern West Bank, was displaced on November 1, 2023, due to settler attacks. Over 140 people, including the S. and N. families, fled the area. ## Chronology of Events: ### End of 2023 **October 7, 2023: Settlers began intensifying attacks after this date.** Settlers entered houses, cursed and threatened children. They threw stones at homes, preventing families from sleeping for 10 days. Settlers bulldozed and blocked the main road into Khirbet Zanuta. ### Settler Attacks on the Saleh S.’s family **October 31, 2023:** Six armed settlers attacked Saleh S.’s brother, Mahmoud. Mahmoud was detained, beaten, and choked by settlers. Mahmoud and Saleh recognized the leader of the settlers, who had been cutting water pipes and harassing the community with drones. **November 1, 2023:** The entire extended family fled after settlers threw rocks at them while they were leaving. The family rented trucks for 3,200 shekels (around $860) to move 300 sheep and left behind most of their belongings. They built new rooms near al-Dhahiriya but struggled financially without access to their lands. **Post-displacement:** The family paid 60,000 shekels (around $16,000) to build a new sheep shelter, but could not maintain the flock due to lack of access to water and land. ### Settler Attacks on the N. Family: Munir and Sara N., both 38, and their nine children also faced multiple attacks. **Early October:** Settlers, accompanied by soldiers, assaulted neighbors and destroyed property. A stun grenade was thrown inside the N. family’s home, terrifying their children. Settlers threatened the family, giving them 24 hours to leave or face being set on fire. The family rented trucks for 2,100 shekels (about $560) to move livestock. Repeated drone attacks by settlers caused sheep to panic, resulting in the death of 10 sheep. Munir’s family fell into debt and expressed a desire to return home if safety could be guaranteed. ### School Destruction: **October 7, 2023:** Schools in Khirbet Zanuta shifted to online learning, but families lacked internet devices. **November 20-21, 2023:** The local school, built with EU and UK support, was burned in an apparent arson attack and later bulldozed. The kindergarten, subsidized and affordable, was destroyed, leaving children like 4-year-old Nadia without access to early education. Education Losses: The destroyed school had 27 students from kindergarten to 6th grade. Civil society groups had partnered with the school for psycho-social support and health programs, which were lost after the school’s destruction. ### 2024 events **On April 17, 2024:** The human rights organization, Haqel: In Defense of Human Right, petitioned the Israeli High Court to instruct the army to protect five Palestinian communities from displacement threats and allow displaced families from Khirbet Zanuta to return, where the Israeli state attorney, in a February 20 response, claimed that no forced displacement had occurred in Khirbet Zanuta. ### **On March 1 : provocation and fabicated incident** A fabricated Car-Ramming Incident in Zanuta highlights a staged provocation by settlers to delegitimize activists documenting illegal outpost construction. - Activists arrived to document settlers establishing an outpost on Zanuta’s land, from which residents had been expelled twice before. Settler Ilai Federman staged a fake car-ramming incident, dramatically lying on the ground and falsely claiming he was hit. - **Settlers and Soldiers Escalate Tensions** – Despite obvious inconsistencies in Federman’s claims, settlers and soldiers arrived, declaring it an attack. Meanwhile, settlers used the chaos to expand their presence, intimidate activists, and push them off the land. - **Repeated Tactics of Misinformation** – Federman has a history of staging similar incidents to falsely accuse activists. The detained driver was released after questioning, proving authorities did not believe the accusations. The real purpose of such staged incidents is to generate misleading headlines that support settler expansion and discredit human rights activists, aiding the broader goal of displacing Palestinian communities. [Source https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/04/17/west-bank-israel-responsible-rising-settler-violence]

### Documenting a systematic pattern of targeting Civil Defense personnel both while working, and in their homes with their families. - As of September 8th, **2024, 83 members of Gaza's Civil Defense have been killed**, with the most recent being Colonel Mohamed Morsi, Deputy Director of Civil Defense in northern Gaza, who was martyred with a number of his family members after their home in Jabalia camp was bombed. ## Chronology - On October 23, after 21 days of siege, shelling, massacres, and constant threat on all the health system and the population, the civil defense in northern Gaza [has confirmed in a press conference](https://x.com/EyeonPalestine/status/1849204316919250999)that the entire North Governorate is no longer able to provide humanitarian services. All hospitals, including Indonesian, Al-Awda, and Kamal Adwan, are completely besieged. Many civilians remain trapped in their homes in Jabalia, Beit Lahia, and Beit Hanoun. Civil defense vehicles have been directly targeted, with the only vehicle in the North destroyed by Israeli artillery. The civil defense holds the Israeli occupation fully responsible for the lives of civilians and the kidnapping of their teams, condemning these actions as violations of humanitarian, ethical, and legal principles. - **On October 19, [a statement](https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/10/gaza-un-experts-decry-bombing-hospitals-and-schools-crimes-against-humanity)of the Human Rights Council Special Rapporteurs** already lists a large number of attacks on the health system, aid and health workers (entitled "Gaza: UN experts decry bombing of hospitals and schools as crimes against humanity, call for prevention of genocide") *"The UN experts called for the protection of all humanitarian workers, after the World Health Organization (WHO) documented more than 136 attacks on health care services in the occupied Palestinian territory, including 59 attacks on the Gaza Strip, which resulted in the death of at least 16 health workers since the beginning of hostilities on 7 October. Israeli bombardment on Gaza has also killed 15 staff of the United Nations Refugee Works Agency (UNRWA) and four Palestine Red Crescent paramedics in an ambulance. An ambulance driver of Magen David Adom in Israel lost his life while driving to treat injured people"* ## **Relevant articles:** "Israeli attacks kill at least 82 civil defense personnel, injure hundreds in Gaza since Oct. 7, agency says" [https://x.com/MiddleEastMnt/status/1825513095407563197](url) "An Israeli airstrike in northern Gaza has killed a senior aid official and four members of his family. His civil defense group fights fires and rescues people trapped in rubble. So why was he attacked?" [https://x.com/KenRoth/status/1832792115060867334](url) "What does it mean to be a Civil Defense worker in Gaza?" [https://x.com/palinfoen/status/1816903815230292270](url) "At least 82 Palestinian civil Defense personnel have been killed by the Israelis since October" [https://x.com/swilkinsonbc/status/1825157332688388170](url) WHO: [Israel Barring Aid Groups and Medical Specialists from Gaza](https://x.com/DropSiteNews/status/1847149905267380417) The World Health Organization (WHO) has accused Israel of preventing medical specialists from entering Gaza to assist local clinics. Since August 2024, eight organizations and over 50 specialists have been affected by this blockade, limiting essential medical services and psychological support for healthcare workers. Notably, Israeli authorities denied entry to Glia and the Palestinian American Medical Association, marking the first time entire aid organizations have been barred from Gaza.

## **Historical context** **Since the Oslo Accords**, the West Bank has been divided into three zones: zone A, theoretically under total control of the Palestinian Authority, zone B, under Palestinian administrative and Israeli security control, **and zone C, totally controlled by the Israeli authorities**, which corresponds to 60% of the occupied territory and **where the illegal settlements under international law are located**. - The village of Susya, a village in the Masafer Yatta region, is in zone C, very affected by occupation and colonization. - Not far from the town, the Israeli army seized 3,000 hectares of land to make it a “restricted military zone”, called **“918 firing zone”**, where the movement of Palestinians is limited. - And above all, the village adjoins an **Israeli setttelment, also called Susya,** established since 1983 by settlers with radical ideology. - Although the Palestinian presence in Susya has been established since the beginning of the 19th century, the town is not recognized by the State of Israel. Since the 1980s, the village has been destroyed seven times. The last demolition dates from 2014. Three houses were razed. Each time, the residents rebuild, they don't want to leave. - In 2012, the village **first applied to enter the Israeli-administered master plan**, which allows West Bank localities to be recognized **for avoiding demolition and being connected to water and electricity networks**. - After two refusals, Susya launched a third request. - In Susya, 300 Palestinians live in makeshift and precarious settlements. Building real houses leads to their destruction by the Israeli army. On the roofs of houses, residents installed tarpaulins to hide from Israeli drones. As Susya is not recognized by Israel, residents are prohibited from building new facilities. But families are growing. - The size of the area designated for declaration is the largest since the Oslo Accords, and **the year 2024 marks a peak in the extent of declarations of state land**. Since the beginning of 2024, Israel has declared 23,700 dunams of the West Bank as State Lands. ## Recurrent events - Palestinian villagers face increasing violence and threats of expulsion from **radical Israeli settlers** and the Israeli army. - **Activists from Jewish Voice for Peace**, documenting the incidents, report daily provocations by settlers who damage Palestinian farmlands by bringing their sheep to graze on them. - Villages like Susya and At-Tuwani are heavily impacted. Despite being officially recognized by Israel, At-Tuwani's residents suffer attacks by settlers from nearby Israeli colonies. These attacks, including an incident where a local man, Zakaria Adra, was shot by a settler without any intervention by Israeli soldiers, are common. - The **UN has reported that the growing settler violence and expansion could amount to war crimes**. ## Consequences on the safety and livelihoods of Palestinians Farmers - Crops destroyed by settlers, further worsening economic hardships. - Despite reporting these incidents to Israeli authorities, there is little hope for justice. - The situation has left the community feeling isolated, constantly under threat, and forced to patrol their lands to defend against further settler aggression. Despite the pressure, some villagers remain determined not to leave their land. ## **Chronology** - **Since October 7**, 2023, Israeli army restrictions and settler violence have increased south of Hebron, in the Masafer Yatta region of the West Bank. Palestinians are fighting to preserve their right to stay on their land. - **On October 16**, 2023, Settlers attack Susya, block all its entrances with bulldozers, and destroy two water wells, fences, and areas planted with trees. - **On October 20,** 2023, two weeks after the start of the war, the Israeli army closed access to my village, Susya, with huge blocks of stone. It has become inaccessible for those who have a small car. - **On October 29**, 2023, settlers issued an ultimatum that if the villagers of Susya do not vacate in 24 hours they will return to kill residents. - **On February 3, 2024,** Israeli forces beat a young Palestinian man and arrested him while he was with his family on their land near the village of Susya in Masafer Yatta. - **On March 17**, 2024, Israeli extremists settlers attacked residents of Susya village. As well several shepherds has been chased by settlers in Massafer Yatta Israeli soliders confiscated a tractor for a farmer in Sheap al-Botom village. - **On April 2**, 2024 : two different attacks in two different places. Israeli settlers attacked and harassed Palestinian shepherd and the international activists in susya an Al_Asayfer villages, adn injuring a young man. - **On May 23**, 2024, activists staying with a threatened family discovered a fire in a nearby field started by a Molotov cocktail. The day before, **Shem Tov Luski**, from the "Susya Kaduma" outpost, visited the village with a young boy who threatened to kill a local resident. Although police were called to investigate, the responding officer, a settler from a nearby community, asked a few questions and quickly left without taking further action. - **On July 4**, 2024,The Higher Planning Council (HPC) approved today and yesterday (3-4/7/24) the advancement of 5,255 housing units in dozens of settlements throughout the West Bank. The building plans include the expansion of settlements deep within the West Bank and the legalization of three outposts : Mahane Gadi, **Givat Hanan (Susya East)**, and Kedem Arava as “neighborhoods” of existing settlements. Israeli Minister Strook described these months as 'like a time of miracles' in a recent recording where she spoke to Givat Hanan settlement residents near Susya about the increased construction in the occupied West Bank. - Givat Hanan (Susya East) (Plan 513/5) – The approval of the plan for the deposit of 107 housing units in the Susya settlement is actually **intended to legalize the Givat Hanan outpost, which was illegally established in 2019**. The outpost is located across an intercity road, disconnected from the Susya settlement. However, to avoid the need to declare a new settlement, it was decided to consider it a “neighborhood” of Susya and plan the construction of a bridge over intercity Road 317 to connect the two settlements. - **On Augustus 4**, 2024, masked Israeli settlers attacked foreign activists who were accompanying Palestinian farmers. - **On September 13**, 2024, [Israeli soldiers ](https://www.instagram.com/kivsa_shchora/reel/C_3r_GQNtfP/)invaded the village of Tuwani. They entered a private yard where, according to the settlers and some questionable archaeologists, remnants of an ancient synagogue are said to be located. The soldiers then walked through the village with their weapons raised, frightening the residents. Using archaeology as a pretext for dispossession and expulsion is a well-known Zionist practice. Just earlier the same day, it was reported that the army is using claims of archaeological findings in Zanuta to prevent people from rebuilding their homes, thus preventing them from living on their land. Residents of the nearby village of Susya were also expelled from their original homes in the 1980s using similar manipulations - **On October 18**, 2024, During the olives harvest, a violent clash occurs where the settelers injured one farmer and one activist, under the protection of the IDF soldiers. - **Since the beginning of 2025**, Masafering have reported about 15 major violent attacks in the village of Susiya and its agricultural lands. **January 1st, 2025**: Shem Tov Lusky arrived this morning to expel a resident of the village of Susiya who was grazing his flock on the lands of Wadi Umm Nir. Lusky whistled and chased after the flock in order to scare the sheep away and drive them off the pasture. Many times we have published documentation of Shem Tov harassing, expelling, and attacking Palestinian shepherds in the area. **January 10, 2025:** Just before midnight, four settlers arrived at the home of one of the families in the village, pelted the house with stones, and broke the security camera. When they were done, they left for the “Old Susiya” outpost belonging to the Lousky family. **On March 17, 2025,** at around 7:00 A.M., masked Israeli settlers armed with clubs arrived near the village of Susiya in Masafer Yatta and began throwing stones at village residents who were herding sheep in the area. More residents gathered at the scene, including B'Tselem field researcher Naser Nawaj'ah, who came to document the incident and called the police. In an attempt to defend themselves, the residents threw stones toward the attackers. During the incident, soldiers passed by in a civilian vehicle. They observed the event without intervening and continued driving. After about half an hour, a police officer arrived, allowed the settlers to leave, and detained Nawaj'ah in a police car for about an hour. Two residents were injured by stones in the attack. **On June 27, 2025**, during the night, Israeli settler militias attacked the village of Susiya.They assaulted and injured a Palestinian woman, vandalized several structures, and pelted homes with stones. **On June 29, 2025**, Israeli masked settlers raided the village. Clash erupted with residents. The settlers threw stones and rocks at the residents. Several Palestinians were injured, property was damaged. The army and police did not arrive. **On July 17, 2025**, around midnight, settlers raided a family's home on the outskirts of the village of Susiya, destroyed water tanks, and cut down 25 fruit trees. They fled the scene toward the outpost of Ancient Susiya. Early in the morning, settlers invaded the lands of the village of Fakhit and aggressively drove a flock of sheep off the pasture. **On July 24, 2025**, Israeli settlers destroyed grape crops belonging to Palestinian residents. **On July 30 & 31, 2025**, during two nights in a row, Israeli settlers have set fire to vehicles, attacking foreign activists’ cars in the village of Susiya. Settlers went to a family’s home, knocked forcefully, and sprayed pepper gas inside. They set fire to a solidarity activist’s car and a structure in the family’s yard. Firefighters contained the car fire, but it also destroyed the family’s water tanks. **On Augustus 2, 2025**, an extremist Israeli settler tried, with his ATV, to run over a Palestinian woman near the village of Susiya. **On Augustus 15, 2025**, at around 1 am, settlers arrived at the yard of a family home in the village of Susya. The family members were sleeping outside due to the intense heat, and were awakened by the sounds of the windows of the house and the car being smashed. They got up and tried to get to the house, but the settlers caught them and attacked them with stones and clubs. The father of the family was injured in the head and lost a lot of blood, and his arm was broken. As usual, the police arrived a very long time after the incident, and even then they did what they could to be of no use. The family members are being treated in a hospital. The injured couple was : ettlers attacked a home in Masafer Yatta. The names of the victims are Khader Jumaa Al-Nawaja'a and his wife Fatima Khalil Al-Nawaja'a. [Source 1](https://www.ledevoir.com/monde/moyen-orient/815485/masafer-yatta-ou-palestiniens-luttent-exister) [Source 2](https://x.com/MHureini), Palestine-Massafer Yatta. Activist &human right defender. [Source 3](https://peacenow.org.il/en/approval-of-5295-units-and-the-establishment-of-3-new-settlements) [source 4](https://x.com/Mistaclim/status/1793521067769712749)

Mohammed Al-Salhi, a photojournalist working for the Fourth Authority news agency, was shot dead near the Bureij Palestinian refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian Authority’s official news agency Wafa, and the Journalist Support Committee (JSC), a nonprofit which promotes the rights of the media in the Middle East. [https://cpj.org/data/people/mohammed-al-salhi/](url) Palestinian journalist Mohammad El-Salhi was shot and killed on October 7, 2023, during an Israeli airstrike in Gaza, near al-Bureij refugee camp. Documented by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the Journalists Support Committee, Al-Salhi’s death has prompted calls for a thorough investigation. Despite wearing a press helmet and flak jacket and clearly identifying as a member of the press, Al-Salhi was targeted and killed—an act that underscores the urgent need for accountability and measures to protect journalists. [https://www.justiceforall.org/resources/statements/accountability-in-the-killings-of-journalist-mohammad-al-salhi/](url) **Call for Investigation:** The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called on the Israel Defense Forces to investigate El-Salhi’s death, make the findings public, and ensure the safety of journalists covering the Israel-Gaza conflict. **Sherif Mansour statement : (CPJ Middle East & North Africa coordinator):** "We urge the Israel Defense Forces to thoroughly investigate the killing of Palestinian journalist Mohammad El-Salhi, identify those responsible for the shooting, and hold them to account". Audrey Azoulay, ************UNESCO Director-General statement : *"I deplore the deaths of journalists Mohammad Jarghoun and Mohammad El-Salhi. The protection of journalists as civilians is a requirement under international law, including UN Security Council Resolution 2222/2015 on the protection of journalists, media professionals and associated personnel in situations of conflict. I call for full and diligent investigations to determine the circumstances of these tragedies."* **Context:** El-Salhi's death occurred during a large-scale Hamas attack on Israel, leading to retaliatory airstrikes. CPJ also mentioned that other journalists had been killed or injured in the conflict. **CPJ Report:** CPJ highlighted that in the last 22 years, 20 journalists have been killed by Israeli forces, with no accountability for these deaths. [https://cpj.org/2023/10/cpj-calls-for-investigation-into-killing-of-palestinian-journalist-mohammad-el-salhi-in-gaza/](url)

Since the October 7 outbreak of clashes between Gazan armed groups and the Israeli army, the Israeli army and settlers have launched continuous attacks on Palestinians. In Jericho, Qalqiliya, Ramallah, Hebron/Al-Khalil, Nablus and occupied East Jerusalem, raids and armed attacks by settlers have continued over the past three days. - At least 16 Palestinians have been killed between October 7 and October 10. - The Israeli army has indeed carried out raids throughout the West Bank and in the various neighborhoods and localities of occupied East Jerusalem. Around and within occupied East Jerusalem, attacks and confrontations with the population emerged from the first hours of the Israeli offensives. - In Jabal Mukkaber, in Issawya in the Old City and in the Shuafat refugee camp, clashes broke out between the population who came to show their solidarity with the Gazans under the bombs and the Israeli troops. - Scenes of clashes were reported from the vast majority of Palestinian neighborhoods in occupied East Jerusalem. This was particularly the case in the Shuafat refugee camp during the evening of October 8. ### On September 18, - a Palestinian child was killed evening by Israeli soldiers.The Palestinian News Agency (WAFA) reported, quoting local sources, that a special unit of the occupation army stormed the camp to carry out an arrest campaign,** and fired live bullets at citizens, killing a child, Hani Al-Karr**i, who succumbed to his critical chest injury, and the injury of a young man. - The sources added that the Israeli forces sent military reinforcements to the camp, which led to the outbreak of confrontations, during which the occupation soldiers fired bullets, sound bombs and tear gas, noting that the occupation forces arrested five young men from the camp. - With the martyrdom of the Palestinian child, the death toll in the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem, since October 7, 2023, has risen to 707, including 161 children, 10 women and 9 elderly people. (QNA)

On February 17, Israel has sentenced 15-year-old child Mohammad Basil al-Zalbani, from Shuafat refugee camp in occupied East Jerusalem, to 18 years in prison and fined him 250,000 shekels (or to pay 300,000 shekels ($83,333) in compensation according to Palestinian Prisoner Society) Arrested at 13, he has been detained since Feb 2023. Israel accuses him of involvement in a soldier's death. His family's home was also demolished in November 2023. Palestinian Prisoner Society said Zalbani was arrested on Feb. 13, 2023, on charges of resisting the Israeli occupation. The boy, who has been detained for 2 years, was charged with the killing of an Israeli soldier. Zalbani was accused of involvement in the killing of an Israeli soldier at a checkpoint in the Shu’fat camp in 2023. However, the soldier was killed by his colleague's gunfire, and not by Zalbani. The Jerusalem District Court also ordered Mohammed Basel Zalbani, from the Shu’fat refugee camp, east of occupied East Jerusalem, to pay 300,000 shekels ($83,333) in compensation, the Palestinian Prisoner Society said in a statement. "The court convicted Muhammad Zalbani, who was 13 years old at the time, of aggravated murder for stabbing Staff Sgt. Asil Sawaed, 22 at a checkpoint near the Shuafat refugee camp." In Augustus 2023, Amnesty International has condemned Israel’s “punitive” demolition of Palestinian child detainee’s home, stressing he is being punished for a fault he did not commit. In a report the rights group said that the Israeli Supreme Court had approved “the punitive demolition of the family home of a 13-year-old Palestinian boy who has spent the past six months in pre-trial detention on unfair charges.” “In February 2023, Mohammed Zalabani stabbed an Israeli border police officer on a bus at a checkpoint in the Shu’afat refugee camp in occupied East Jerusalem. He was overpowered, but moments later a private Israeli security guard accidentally shot the officer dead.” According to Amnesty, the autopsy confirmed that the Israeli officer was not killed by the Palestinian child, who was charged with his murder, and is now awaiting trial in a juvenile facility.

## A. The murder **On 11 May 2022**, Al Jazeera American-Palestinian reporter Shireen Abu Akleh and a group of five other journalists arrived at Balat Al Shuhada’ street in Jenin to report on a raid on the nearby refugee camp by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF). The journalists wore prominent ‘PRESS’ vests that identified them as such, from both the front and back, and followed standard protocols for self-identification as they slowly approached a convoy of five armoured Israeli military vehicles parked along an unnamed street intersecting Balat Al Shuhada’. The Israeli army vehicles were approximately 200 metres south of the journalists. **The journalists present during this incident were:** 1° **Shireen Abu Akleh** (fatally hit in her head) 2° **Shatha Hanaysha** (first eye witness under the fire standing near Shireen when Shireen was shot and killed) 3° **Ali Al-Samoudi** (injured in the shoulder) 4° **Mujahid al-Saadi** 5° **Muhannad Nairoukh** 6° **Majdi Bannoura** **At 6:31 AM**, an **Israeli army special forces marksman** (different from ‘snipers’, they are part of a standard fighting squad: their task is to target shots more accurately than regular troops using guns having a bio-pod and an optical scope such as Trijicon ACOG x4) fired the first burst of six bullets directly at the group of journalists from a sniper hole in the military vehicle at the front of the Israeli army convoy. One of the shots **hit journalist Ali Al-Samoudi in the shoulder**. **Eight seconds later**, as the journalists attempted to take cover, the Israeli army marksman fired a second burst consisting of a further seven distinct gunshots, once again targeting the journalists. One of those bullets **hit Shireen Abu Akleh in the head**, fatally wounding her. **Two minutes later**, an unarmed civilian, Sharif al-Azab, attempted to deliver first aid to Shireen, and he, too, **was fired at with three distinct gunshots**. See the **[Timeline of the incident reconstructed by Forensic Architecture](https://forensic-architecture.org/investigation/the-extrajudicial-killing-of-shireen-abu-akleh-extended-report/#anchor-6)** She was transported to [Ibn Sina Hospital in Jenin](https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-palestine-al-jazeera-journalist-shireen-abu-akleh-shot-dead-jenin), where she was pronounced dead, at the age of 51. The injured journalist, Ali Samoadi, of the Al-Quds newspaper, was shot in the back but survived. ## B. The aftermath of the murder ### On May 11, 2022 : The Israeli military and [Israel's US embassy tweeted a video of Palestinian gunmen in Jenin firing down an alley](https://x.com/naftalibennett/status/1524300920959508484), suggesting they were responsible. However Israeli NGO B'Tselem visited the scene where that footage was taken, and said it was impossible for Abu Akleh to have been hit from there. ### On May 13, 2022 : Abu Akleh’s body was brought from Jenin, where she was killed by Israeli forces on Wednesday, to Jerusalem via Nablus and Ramallah, in a procession where Palestinians paid their respects. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has said that he would take Abu Akleh’s case to the International Criminal Court in an effort to get justice for the veteran reporter, who joined Al Jazeera in 1997, and was an icon in Palestine and the wider Arab world. In a scene that violates all norms and International laws, the Israeli occupation forces stormed the French Hospital in Jerusalem and attacked the mourners of the late Shireen Abu Akleh at the start of the funeral procession. They severely beat the pallbearers of the late journalist. Israeli forces beat crowd of mourners carrying coffin of Shireen Abu Akleh ahead of funeral in the Old City of occupied East Jerusalem. Thousands of Palestinians have gathered for the funeral service, before Abu Akleh is taken to the Mount Zion Protestant Cemetery, where she will be buried alongside her late parents. Sources [1](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/5/13/mourners-bid-farewell-to-journalist-shireen-abu-akleh-live-news) [](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/INTERACTIVE-Journalists-killed-by-Israeli-forces-1.png?w=770&resize=770%2C770&quality=80) ## C. Independant Forensic Architecture Investigation ### General conclusion of the investigation : 1) The journalists were clearly identifiable as press/non-combatants to the Israeli army marksman. 2) The Israeli army marksman deliberately and repeatedly targeted Shireen and her fellow journalists with the intention to kill. 3) The attack on Shireen and her journalist colleagues occurred during a period without risk to the Israeli army marksman’s life or that of other soldiers. There were no shots other than those of the Israeli marksman fired at the time and no armed individuals in the vicinity of the journalists. 4) Shireen was deliberately denied first aid after being shot by the Israeli army. News agencies, rights groups and the United Nations have all conducted investigations into her killing and concluded that Abu Akleh was killed – likely deliberately – by Israeli troops. ### Conclusions of [Audio and acoustic analysis](https://content.forensic-architecture.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/2022.11.02_Final-Audio-and-Acoustic-Analysis-SAA-Report.pdf) | Gunfire *before,during and after the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh by Researcher in charge: Dr. Lawrence Abu Hamdan:* The shooter fired a semi-automatic weapon from approximately 180 metres away from Shireen Abu Akleh. This shooter pulled the trigger on seven separate occasions within two seconds making the claim that at no point was there any intentional gunfire carried out by IDF soldiers in a manner intended to harm the journalist” highly improbable. All gunshots audible in the 2 minutes prior to the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh are fired from the same position. No other shots in this recording are firing towards the military position from the the vicinity of Shireen Abu Akleh and her colleagues. This report finds no evidence to support the claims that life-threatening, widespread and indiscriminate shots were fired toward IDF soldiers.” The journalist was not “present in the area during an exchange of fire. . [The online report with videos](https://forensic-architecture.org/investigation/shireen-abu-akleh-the-targeted-killing-of-a-journalist) [the PFD Complete report](https://forensic-architecture.org/investigation/the-extrajudicial-killing-of-shireen-abu-akleh-extended-report/) [](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FdImqLUXEAYqzil?format=jpg&name=4096x4096) ## D. International statements **On October 13, 2022 UN human rights experts** [have condemned the killing](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/5/13/un-experts-condemn-shireen-abu-aklehs-killing-demand-probe) of Al Jazeera journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh, and called for a prompt, transparent, thorough and independent investigation into her death. *“The killing of Abu Akleh is another serious attack on media freedom and freedom of expression, amid the escalation of violence in the occupied West Bank.(...) We demand a prompt, independent, impartial, effective, thorough and transparent investigation into the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh, in full compliance with the Revised United Nations Manual on the Effective Prevention and Investigation of Extra-Legal, Arbitrary and Summary Executions (The Minnesota Protocol on the Investigation of Potentially Unlawful Death). We urge the Israeli and Palestinian authorities and other stakeholders to cooperate with such an investigation."* **Powerful statement by Shireen Abu Akleh’s family** saying they are “incredulous” after the State Department released its finding, calling it “insulting to Shireen’s memory.”  ## E. Further linked incidents againt press freedom and Shireen Memory Her funeral was [assaulted by Israely Security Police](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/5/13/mourners-bid-farewell-to-journalist-shireen-abu-akleh-live-news)throughout the procession in Jerusalem, with the coffin bearers being violently beaten with batons and prevented from moving forward. The coffin nearly fell to the ground multiple times. All of these scenes were filmed and broadcast around the world. The White House denounced the violence as “deeply disturbing.” Her memorial, located at the site where she was killed, was desecrated by Israeli forces during a raid in Jenin in October 2023. A D9 Caterpillar bulldozer was used to clear the road and destroy the street mural commemorating her.  *Picture: Samar Hazboun for The New York Times* During the Israeli raid on the Al Jazeera office to shut it down in September 2024, the poster in memory of Shireen that adorned the façade was immediately removed and torn apart in full view of the cameras. Her colleagues, and particulary Shatha Hanaysha, were subjected to threats and attempts on their lives while covering stories. On September 19, 2024, Israeli forces [violently arrested](https://x.com/DropSiteNews/status/1839358600449290417) prominent Palestinian journalist Mujahed al-Saadi, breaking into his home in the middle of the night in Jenin, an illegally occupied part of the West Bank. Al-Saadi had been present when the IDF shot and killed Shireen Abu Akleh in 2022 and had recently reported for Drop Site during Israel’s brutal 10-day siege of Jenin. ### The U.S. protection of the Israel impunity: “U.S. Assessment of Israeli Shooting of Journalist Divided”: On June 20, 2022, The NYT published an investigation showed that there were no armed Palestinians near her when she was shot. It contradicted Israeli claims that, if a soldier had mistakenly killed her, it was because he had been shooting at a Palestinian gunman. This investigation also showed that 16 shots were fired from the location of the Israeli convoy, as opposed to Israeli claims that the soldier had fired five bullets in the journalists’ direction. However, on July 2022, a State Department statement claims that the damage to the bullet made it difficult to draw a definitive conclusion about the gun it was fired from. But shots fired from the position of the Israel Defense Forces were “likely responsible for the death,” U.S. officials “found no reason to believe that this was intentional but rather the result of tragic circumstances during an I.D.F.-led military operation,”. The Israeli government had cast doubt on that, saying that she was hit by either an Israeli soldier or a Palestinian gunman. Israeli officers have said that an Israeli soldier from Duvdevan, an elite unit, fired in Ms. Abu Akleh’s direction, but that it was impossible to determine who shot her without examining the bullet. The New York Times revealed on Monday morning, October 27, 2025, new details regarding the killing of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was shot dead by Israeli forces in 2022. According to the report, a U.S. Army colonel stated that the official U.S. assessment of the killing of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in 2022 was “deliberately softened” to avoid a diplomatic dispute with Israel, as reported by the Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom. The report added that some U.S. officials involved in reviewing the circumstances of the incident reached the conclusion that the shooting of Abu Akleh was intentional. The U.S. government conducted a review into the shooting of a journalist by Israeli forces. The assessment concluded that gunfire from Israeli military positions was “likely responsible” for the journalist’s death. However, American officials also stated they “found no reason to believe” the shooting was deliberate or constituted a policy of targeting journalists. The division among U.S. analysts and the qualifier “likely responsible” highlight the difficulty in attributing full accountability or intent in the circumstances.

At midday, an Israeli drone airstrike targeted the Abu Mazid family house in the town of Zawayd, central Gaza, killing four men from the family. **Names of the martyrs:** 1. Abdullah Hussein Abu Mazid 2. Muad Fouad Abu Mazid 3. Ahmad Fouad Abu Mazid 4. Ali Fawzi Abu Mazid

Mukhmas is a Palestinian village in the Jerusalem Governorate, northeast of Jerusalem in the West Bank. It had a population of about 1,363 in 2017. Much of its land is classified as Area C under Israeli control. Israeli settlers have repeatedly entered fields and orchards around Mukhmas, attacking residents, damaging property, and uprooting olive trees. Timeline of Key Events in Mukhmas (October 2023 – December 2025) ### In 2023 **On June 22, 2023** – New settler outpost established near Mukhmas Israeli settlers erected a makeshift outpost (mobile homes/caravans) on private Palestinian land near Mukhmas, east of occupied Jerusalem, as part of ongoing expansion efforts. The move came amid broader settler push into Palestinian areas. **On July 7, 2023** – Israeli settlers set fire to a Palestinian home in Mukhmas, leaving at least six people homeless as part of wider settler violence across the West Bank. **On October 6, 2023 :** Israeli settlers attacked the Palestinian town of Mukhmas near occupied Jerusalem, burning tires at the town’s entrances. ### In 2024 **On March 30, 2024:** A young Palestinian man (23) was shot and injured by Israeli settlers during a raid on Mukhmas. ### In 2025 **On January 5, 2025:** Israeli settlers bulldozed privately-owned Palestinian lands near Mukhmas as part of expansion efforts around the illegal Sde Yonatan outpost adjacent to Ma’ale Mikhmas. On May 23, After successfully expelling the community in Mughayir a-Dir, the settlers continue not far from there and enter the village of Mukhmas (مخماس), Al-Quds Governorate, and ask the residents when they intend to leave. **On May 30, 2025:** An activist's vehicle was vandalized by settlers, its tires slashed. **On June 11, 2025:** Settlers attacked Mukhmas in a coordinated attack with soldiers, three Human rights defenders were injured and a Palestinian accused of throwing rocks remains was arrested. Update, *Statement of Mistaclim:* "As part of the ethnic cleansing operations in Area C, the settlers are conducting the battles of "attack and whine" tactic. As always-the ultimate victims. In yesterday's violent settlers attack in Mukhmas, Rabbi Arik Asherman was wounded in the head and two other activists suffered fractures in their limbs. The Jewish terrorists, as usual, publish false versions. The army was there and chose, once again, not to stop the attack. Needless to say that the Jewish terrorists were not arrested." **On July 4, 2025:** Two settlers invaded residents' houses with their herd, looting furniture. **On July 19, 2025:** Settlers began paving a new settler road on privately-owned Palestinian lands east of Mukhmas, facilitated by nearby outposts. **On October 22, 2025:** Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture in Jerusalem states: "Israeli settler gangs have uprooted over 200 fruitful olive trees belonging to Palestinian farmers, aged over 30 years, in the town of Mukhmas, northeast of Jerusalem." **On November 3, 2025:** Settlers attacked the Khalat Sadrah gathering east of Mukhmas, destroying water networks and damaging property; previous attacks included a large raid on 25 October involving homes set on fire. **On November 11, 2025:** Settlers set fire to two vehicles owned by Palestinian residents in Mukhmas. A closed military zone order has been imposed on the village area, which soldiers enforce to keep away activists and visitors of the residents. However, when residents called last night to request similar enforcement against the settlers roaming the area, their calls were ignored. **On December 1st, 2025**: A group of settlers set up mobile homes and began preparing infrastructure on lands located east of the town, under the protection of the Israeli forces that stormed Mukhmas and deployed in its streets and neighborhoods to secure the settlement expansion proces **On December 6, 2025:** Armed settlers attacked Palestinian lands and attempted to assault homes in Mukhmas and surrounding areas, including at the Huthroura Bedouin community near Khan al-Ahmar. f Mikhmas, northeast of occupied Jerusalem, in a series of attacks that included an armed attack on Bedouin communities in the area. According to local sources, settlers released their herds of cows into olive fields owned by Palestinian farmers in the Wadi al-Baradiya area, before heading towards citizens’ homes in an attempt to attack them. However, the response of the young men prevented the attack from continuing and forced the settlers to withdraw. **On December 7 2025:** Settlers attacked Palestinian civilian vehicles on the main road near Mukhmas; no injuries were reported. **On December 14, 2025:** Illegal settlers cut down about 40 olive trees in the al-Hayy area of Mukhmas, damaging Palestinian agricultural land. Authorities noted the activity followed Israeli army demolition of a local park and playground earlier in December. **On December 22, 2025**, a gand of 6 masked settlers assaulted the vehicle of Jewish activist protecting the local Palestinian residents, throwing rocks and dammaging the properties.