Italian and Canadian volunteers beaten and robbed by Israeli settlers in a West Bank village. “They broke into the house where I was sleeping”
Italy and Canada have expressed concern over the treatment of their citizens, who have been beaten and robbed by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.
Israeli soldiers in the West Bank PHOTO EPA-EFE / Abed Al Hashlamoun
Three Italians and a Canadian were attacked on Sunday morning in the village of Ein al-Duyuk, near Jericho, where they had volunteered to help protect the Palestinian population from increasing settler violence, according to The Guardian.
All four were hospitalized, and one of them, an Italian, was still receiving treatment Monday in Ramallah for more serious injuries.
In a written statement, the Canadian volunteer said: “At 4:30 a.m. on the morning of November 30, 10 masked settlers, two of whom were carrying military rifles, stormed into the house where I was sleeping after the surveillance shift.
“They beat us for about 15 minutes. I was repeatedly kicked in the head, ribs, hips and thighs. They shouted insults at us in Arabic and told us we had no right to be there. They destroyed the inside of the house and destroyed the solar panels before they left.”
The woman, who did not want her name published for safety reasons, added: “It's not about us. We were beaten for 15 minutes. Palestinians here endure such violence every day, every hour, a thousand times more.”
The pace and intensity of attacks in Ein al-Duyuk have increased considerably over the past two months, following the establishment of a settler outpost nearby and the arrival of aggressive youths.
Activists and volunteers say that violent incidents have become almost daily. The attacks included groups of settlers breaking into homes and beating locals, stealing 200 sheep, two cars and destroying solar panels.
Although all settlements in the occupied territories are illegal under international law, the makeshift outposts are illegal even under Israeli law. Ein al-Duyuk is in Area A of the West Bank, which means it should be administered by the Palestinian Authority and entry to Israelis is prohibited.
The Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that “strongly denounces the violent acts committed by extremist settlers and opposes any actions or speeches regarding the annexation of Palestinian territories.”
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told reporters: “We are tired of this aggression. This is not how settlers can assert their rights.”
Israeli authorities in the West Bank have been contacted for a point of view. Locals and activists say there has been no significant police intervention to stop the attacks or dismantle the outpost. Key members of the ruling coalition led by Benjamin Netanyahu actively support West Bank settlers.
According to UN figures, Israeli settlers and security forces have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians, including 233 children, in the West Bank in the past two years — in what many Israeli and Palestinian observers see as a coordinated campaign of violence aimed at seizing control of the territory.
