The repeated crimes and assaults by settlers in the towns and areas of the occupied West Bank, particularly in the Nablus region, which included the martyrdom of a Palestinian, the stabbing of another, the shooting of live ammunition, and the burning of homes, facilities, and vehicles, add to the long record of crimes committed by the Israeli occupation, targeting everything Palestinian and Arab.
The Mezan Center for Human Rights in Nazareth views with utmost gravity the terrorist crime committed by settlers under the cover of darkness in the towns of Hawara, Asira al-Qibliya, and Burin in Nablus. These settler attacks, fueled by hatred, racism, and sadism against anything Palestinian and Arab, would not have been carried out in such an unprecedented manner were it not for the political backing, official governmental support, and military protection they receive. This is especially true considering that some officials have openly called for the burning and closure of Hawara!
The events that occurred on Sunday in the occupied West Bank, particularly in the town of Hawara, represent an unprecedented level of violence against people, trees, and buildings, bringing to mind the horrific and vile terrorist attack carried out by settlers against the Dawabsha family in Duma village in 2015, a tragedy whose wounds remain fresh even after all these years.
It is redundant to speak of the Israeli policies that target Palestinian freedoms and rights, which have become more extreme and racist under the current government, widely regarded as the most right-wing, extremist, and racist in Israel’s history. This is further exacerbated by the drift of Israeli society toward the far right, especially as the government has adopted, since its formation in late December, a series of racist decisions and laws aimed at cementing these values as central tenets of the Israeli system.
In light of this, we must ask: Where is the role of the Palestinian Authority and its security forces in fulfilling their duty to protect the Palestinian people from settler attacks and crimes? Or have the duties of the Authority now become limited to chasing Palestinians, raiding their homes in the dead of night, and surrounding them with large numbers of intelligence and preventive security forces?
Mezan calls on the international community to assume its legal and moral responsibilities toward the residents of the occupied Palestinian territories. The settlers’ crimes and their repeated assaults in the towns and areas of the occupied West Bank are crimes against humanity and among the most heinous crimes under international law.
Mezan Center for Human Rights – Nazareth
Monday – 27 February 2023
