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Report on Settlers' Attacks on Palestinians During the
Uprising
December 30, 2000 -January 6, 2001
Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip have been
steadily increasing in the past few weeks. These settlers have generally acted with
impunity, as the Israeli military and court system historically have been reluctant to
arrest, try, and punish settlers for violence they commit against Palestinian civilians.
As a result, settlers are virtually free to carry out intimidation, assaults against
people and property, and even murder against the Palestinian population.
The existence of Israeli settlements in the Occupied Territories violates both
international law and particular international
agreements Israel is signed on. According to Article 49 of the fourth Geneva Convention it
is prohibited to transfer civilians of an occupying power to the territory occupied.
Since the Oslo accord in 1993, the number of settlers in the West Bank and Gaza has
doubled to 200,000, not including approximately 200,000 settlers now living in East
Jerusalem. The building during Barak's government has actually escalated, with 14,000
settlers added and tenders issued for building 4,000 units last year alone, compared with
3,000 units a year built under Netanyahu. Compared to 1999, in the year 2000 there has
been a 96% increase in settlement building.
Israel has continually expropriated large amounts of land from Palestinians for the
settlement of Jewish civilians, in order to
change the demography of the area and create irreversible facts on the ground.
The AIC has been monitoring settler violence, and now introduces a regular updated report.
Report XIV
December 30, 2000 -January 6, 2001
On December 30:
-Settlers uprooted 90 citrus trees in the Wadi Qana area in the village of Dir Istia in
Salfeet.
-Three Palestinian citizens were injured when armed settlers attacked their cars near the
settlement of Tapuah.
-Tens of armed settlers from Shevi Shomron and Einav blocked the main road connecting the
West Bank cities of Jenin and Nablus and attacked passing Palestinian civilians.
On January 1:
-Tahreer Suleiman Riziq (aged 22) from the village of Hizma near Jerusalem was shot in the
head and killed by a settler near a bypass road running close to the village. According to
many eyewitnesses two cars stopped on the main entrance to the village and three settlers
stepped out of the cars. They opened fire on Palestinian residents near their houses,
killing Tahreer.
-At 3:00 p.m. tens of settlers entered Bait Dajan village in the Nablus area and opened
fire on houses and electricity cables. Some windows have been broken and the electricity
supply cut off. The local council chairman of the village, Naser Abu Hashesh, said the
electricity in the village was cut off for one whole day.
-At 4 a.m. physician Waleed Hasan Ewaina from Battir village in the district of Bethlehem
was wounded in the head and hands after settlers attacked his car on bypass road 60 while
he was returning home. He was taken to Al-yamama hospital.
-Fifteen settlers from Ofrah took over a hill close to Palestinian houses in Eyn-Yabroud
village and brought 4 caravans to the site. They also threw stones at houses and attempted
to set fire to them. Many windows of cars and houses have been broken.
-Waleed Hamdan (aged 20) from the town of Ya'bod was attacked by
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