Ma’ale Efrayim Junction, Jericho District: Israeli settlers attack Palestinian picking greens, injure and rob him

On Saturday, 24 February 2024, at around 3:30 P.M., when Khaled ‘Aqel (48) was on his way from his home in the village of Kifl Hares, Salfit District, to visit his sister in the village of a-Zbeidat, near Jericho, his brother dropped him off by the side of Route 505, near Wadi a-Rashash, since he wanted to pick some gundelia (‘aqub in Arabic). As ‘Aqel was picking the wild plant, eight settlers arrived, four of them on ATVs, and attacked him with stones. After ‘Aqel collapsed to the ground, a settler kicked him and stole his cell phone and ID card, which had 300 NIS (~ USD 80) in it. The settlers then left.

‘Aqel managed to make it to the road, where he hailed a soldier driving by, who called an Israeli ambulance for him. The crew treated him and called a Palestinian ambulance, which, at his request, took him to the hospital in Salfit. He was diagnosed with a fractured rib.

On Wednesday, 28 February 2024, ‘Aqel filed a complaint at the Ariel police station, and police officers went with him to document the scene of the incident. The phone, ID card and money stolen by the settlers were not returned to him.

In a testimony he gave B’Tselem field researcher Abdulkarim Sadi, Khaled ‘Aqel, a 48-year-old father of two, said:

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On Saturday, February 24, 2024, around 3:30 P.M., my brother drove me from our village to visit our sister in the village of a-Zbeidat in the Jericho area. He dropped me off in the Wadi a-Rashash area by the side of the road, because I wanted to pick ‘aqub, like I do every year this season. My brother drove off, and I stayed there to pick. I got a large sack full.

While I was picking, eight settlers showed up. Four of them, who were riding ATVs, surrounded me, while the other four stood on a nearby hill and started throwing stones at me. I was hit by stones in the chest, back and stomach. I protected my head with my arms. I didn’t talk to the settlers. They just shouted over and over again: “This is our land,” and threw stones at me. It went on like this for a few minutes, until I collapsed and fell to the ground and then one settler came up to me and kicked me in the stomach. He took my phone and ID card, which had NIS 300 in it, and then they all left.

I waited a few minutes, and then, after barely managing to get up, I walked about 350 meters to the main road. I raised my hand for someone to stop for me, and a car driven by a soldier pulled over. I told him about the attack and asked him to call an ambulance.

He did, and a few minutes later, an Israeli ambulance arrived and the crew gave me first aid. Then they called a Palestinian ambulance from the town of ‘Aqraba, which arrived and took me, as I requested, to Yasser ‘Arafat Hospital in Salfit. I got checked and had x-rays done at the hospital, and they found a fracture in one of my ribs. I was kept for observation for a few hours, and then the doctors discharged me with a referral to an orthopedist.

On Wednesday, 28 February 2024, in the morning I went with an Israeli activist to the police station in Ariel and filed a complaint with the Israeli police. Then I went with the police to the scene of the incident and showed them where the settlers came from. They took pictures of the scene and left. I haven’t gotten my phone, ID, or money back.