Summary

In Ras Ein al-Auja, the past week saw an increase in vehicle movement carrying settler youth from both the new and western illegal outposts toward the village. The cars sped through village roads, entered residential courtyards, shouted, harassed, and intimidated residents while watching women and children. Israeli soldiers, accompanied by an inspector from the Jordan Valley Regional Council, entered residents’ homes without any justification, demanded ID cards and various documents, and photographed living spaces.

Settler incursions with their herds into Ras Ein al-Auja are routine—but even routine has its exceptions. One underage settler drove his flock into a villager’s sheepfold and refused to leave. A police officer, called by activists from Looking the Occupation in the Eye, argued with the complainants, claiming that “in Area C, Israeli Jews are allowed to be anywhere.

‍

Sunday – Two settlers entered a villager’s courtyard in Ras Ein al-Auja, driving their flock inside. A human-rights activist expelled the flock, and another activist called the army and police. Soldiers arrived first; after speaking with the activists, the army ordered the settlers to remove their sheep. Later, two police officers, a soldier, and regional inspector Meir Nir arrived. The policeman explained that “since it’s Area C, Israelis can be anywhere.” After patient discussion, a human-rights activist managed to clarify that even in Area C, there are laws—and Israelis are not allowed to enter private homes.

‍

Monday – Masked settlers, some armed with clubs, entered the yard of a family home on the outskirts of Samu’a in the South Hebron Hills. Security cameras recorded them smashing car windows, setting fire to hay bales, and then entering the sheep pen to beat the lambs. Six lambs were killed, and four severely injured—reported Matan Golan, Haaretz’s correspondent for the occupied territories. The report quoted Looking the Occupation in the Eye activists Ben-Zion Eshel and Amir Pansky, who noted a rise in violence by settlers toward animals. They added that over the past two years settlers have increasingly placed carcasses of sheep and donkeys at the entrances to Palestinian communities in Area C to drive residents away.

‍

Tuesday – Settlers approached a village guest tent (madafa) and moved toward a resident’s home in Ras Ein al-Auja. Activists present tried to steer the herd away, and one settler responded by throwing a large stone at an activist. Police were called twice, and the activist filed a complaint. Gabriel Kalish, the security coordinator of Mevot Yericho, was again present and verbally harassed an activist.

‍

Wednesday – A settler’s herd approached a villager’s home in Ras Ein al-Auja, driven by its shepherd. Activists were present and managed to drive the herd and the settler out of the property. Later, three soldiers arrived, driving between homes, and demanded that several locals present their IDs.

‍

Thursday – The army raided the al-Khathrura community (east of al-Khan al-Ahmar, south of Highway 1 leading to Jericho), going house to house, forcing all males—children, youths, men, and elderly—to the village outskirts, where they stripped and detained them for hours. The pretext: two settlers had attacked a child inside the community’s huts, and residents had tried to chase them away. A single phone call to the nearby settlement’s security forces was enough for soldiers to storm the community, gather all males at gunpoint, strip them, and parade them before the entire village. After three hours, the detainees were handed over to the police, who released them.

‍

Friday – A minor shepherd from an outpost trespassed into the Salameh family courtyard in Ras Ein al-Auja, pushing away activists present at the scene. A police officer called to the spot merely asked the boy to remove his donkey from the property and responded to the illegal entry with the usual suggestion: “file a complaint.”

About twenty volunteers from Looking the Occupation in the Eye arrived in Burin, east of Ramallah, to assist in olive harvesting but had to retreat when shown a closed military zone order. Soldiers took activists’ ID cards. At the Za’atara Junction, near the square where activists hold a weekly peaceful protest, soldiers awaited participants with another closed-zone order. Although the order applied to the junction—not the square—a French journalist was arrested and later released, and an activist was detained even though he had only passed through the area.

‍

Saturday – In the morning, a settler brought his flock onto the Abu Taleb family’s land in Ras Ein al-Auja, filming activists at close range in a harassing manner. In the afternoon, three settlers led their herd onto the Abu Taleb family’s property and approached the homes. Gabriel Kalish, the Mevot Yericho security coordinator, arrived armed with a camera and verbally harassed activists.

In various olive-harvest areas, Israeli soldiers expelled Palestinian farmers from their groves under the pretext of closed-zone orders. Several soldiers were filmed stealing olives near the village of Sinjil.