Journalists fear for their lives in violent settler attack in occupied West Bank

A violent settler attack took place in the occupied West Bank town of Beita on 8 November. Masked colonial Zionist settlers attacked journalists, Red Crescent volunteers, activists, and Palestinian farmers. 15 people were injured, including five journalists.

A well-organised, sustained, and violent attack from far-right settlers

That morning, a large group of residents and international activists made their way to the mountain area of town. They aimed to aid and protect the Palestinian farmers while picking their olives. Also present were several journalists and paramedics. After some time, the group began to see movement amongst the trees.

Al Jazeera photojournalist Louy Alsaeed told the Canary around 40 masked Israeli settlers suddenly appeared, descending the mountain and surrounding the area. Their attack was coordinated, sustained, and violent, with clubs, sticks and rocks used as weapons.

Alsaeed: “I felt as if I was really close to death”

Alsaeed said:

I felt really close to death, for the first time in my life. They tried to catch us, and started throwing rocks at us from above. It was very difficult to escape from that mountainous area. I kept running, but every time I looked back, I saw someone trying to catch me. Many journalists fell while trying to escape. I was one of them. I fell with all my equipment. We expected problems, but not like this. They planned this very well. They hid behind trees, and then made themselves into groups and attacked us.

Al Jazeera correspondent Mohamad Alatrash has severe bruising and pain from escaping the attack. He says the attack was an:

exceptional and extremely violent incident, aimed at harming people in the area.

“We could see the hatred in the settlers’ eyes…”

Alatrash told the Canary:

I was born and raised in an area where settlers were only a short distance from my home. But what I witnessed in this attack was exceptional. We could see the hatred in the settler’s eyes, the extreme violence in their behaviour, and the clear intent to kill, through the brutal blows they directed at several people. Everyone in the area was thinking only about individual survival. We had no choice but to move towards a rough and steep wadi area.

Reuters photojournalist Raneen Sawafta had difficulty jumping down, and was surrounded, isolated, and repeatedly beaten. She suffered multiple fractures and fragmentation in her knee joint. Photojournalist Nael Buaytal also suffered fractures in the ankle as a result of jumping.

Alatrash said:

I could hear Raneen screaming loudly, and felt devastated I couldn’t help her. The settlers were only a few metres from me, as I was trying to jump and escape the mountain area. I was fully aware that if they managed to catch and surround me, they would kill me. I had no choice but to jump into the wadi.

Difficult times for farmers in the occupied West Bank

Many farmers in the occupied West Bank are unable to reach their land, because of violence from settlers and Israeli occupation forces (IOF). Until recently, the presence of activists, especially internationals, provided some protection for them, but not now. According to Alsaeed, settlers are stealing olives when farmers cannot get to their land. Israeli occupation forces (IOF) are also clamping down on activists who help farmers, prevented them from returning to Palestine at a later date.

But farmers continue persevering, despite the violence. Olive trees are deeply rooted in Palestinian heritage, culture and identity. The harvest is also relied on, economically, by 100,000 Palestinian families, and accounts for almost three quarters of the West Bank economy.

Evyatar settlement in Beita built on stolen Palestinian land

The settlers terrorising Beita live in Evyatar settlement, on Beita’s mountain. Founded in May 2021, Evyatar started as an unapproved outpost. It grew in size and, last year, was officially authorized as a new settlement. 16 acres of Palestinian land were declared ‘state land’ and seized for this settlement.

The settlers have recently erected a tent on the farmer’s land, the first step in gaining control of the area. Then they move in, restrict Palestinian access, and forcibly displace them. Eventually, these outposts are legalised, and expand into a settlement.

Beita has a long history of resistance against the occupation and Evyatar settlement. But protests have been met with extreme IOF violence. Since 2020, 18 demonstrators in Beita have been killed by the IOF, including American peace activist, Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, who they shot in the head. Thousands more have been injured. Children bear the brunt of this violence, and are receiving psychosocial support from the Norwegian Refugee Council.

Illegal settlers supported and protected by the IOF

Evyatar settlement was founded by the ultra nationalist Nachala Settlement Movement, set up by extremist settler leader Daniella Weiss. Weiss, a prominent far-right Israeli Orthodox Zionist, was symbolically sanctioned by the UK government earlier this year.

Alsaeed told the Canary:

No one can stop the settlers acting how they do. The problem is getting worse and worse because these attacks are under the protection of the soldiers and the government. I don’t think there is a solution.

13 year old is latest to be killed by violence in Beita

Beita has suffered repeated violent settler attacks during this olive harvest. Several weeks ago vehicles were set alight, and many Palestinians were injured. The IOF fired tear gas toward the Palestinians, which 13 year old Aysam Mualla inhaled. He suffered critical injuries, and died in hospital this week:

Violence against Palestinians in the West Bank is an everyday occurrence, and Palestinian journalists risk their lives to expose crimes the Israeli occupation commit. Alatrash says he still feels “intense fear about going to areas of confrontation”, as he knows he could be subjected to another similar attack.

Until the international community takes decisive action, the cycle of violence and dispossession will continue. But Alsaeed and Alatrash say they will continue to give a voice to Palestinian communities deeply affected by the violence.

Featured images and video via David Reeb