Tel Rumeidah, central Hebron: Teenage settler beats 13-year-old Palestinian in front of soldiers, who let him flee without stopping him
6 February 2021
The 10 members of the Abu ‘Eishah family live in the neighborhood of Tel Rumeidah in Hebron. Their home is sadly known as “the cage house,” as they had to install bars and screens on the doors and windows to protect themselves from settlers. The house lies far from the other Palestinian homes in the neighborhood. In 1984, the urban settlement of Admot Yishai was established right by to it. Since then, the family has suffered incessant harassment by settlers and by the military.
On Saturday, 6 February 2021, at around 8:00 P.M., Rima (54) and Taysir (59) Abu ‘Eishah were walking home with their son Haitham (13). After they crossed a checkpoint and a gate the military erected near their home, they encountered five teens from the settlement and three soldiers. One of the settlers followed the family and attacked Haitham, punching him in the head, and then fled. The soldiers made no attempt to stop him and called the police. Police officers arrived some 15 minutes later and took the father and son to the police station to file a complaint.
In a testimony he gave B’Tselem field researcher Manal al-Ja’bari, Haitham Abu ‘Eishah recounted the assault by his home:
We’re the only Palestinian family that lives here. The settlers here attack us all the time, especially on Fridays and Saturdays and on Jewish holidays.
Yesterday, on our way home, after we crossed the Mash'had al-Arb’in checkpoint and the gate, we saw three soldiers and five young settlers who were about 16 years old. We ignored them and kept walking, and then my mother shouted out to me to watch out because one of them was about to attack me. Before I could turn around, the settler punched me in the right ear. I screamed with pain and the settler ran towards the settlement.
My ear still hurts. If the pain continues, I’ll have to see a doctor.
- Physical assault
- Verbal confrontations and threats