Nab'a al-Ghazal (al-Farisiyah): Israeli settlers smashed nine solar panels and set a car on fire in the Palestinian community

On 14 April 2024, at around 2:00 A.M., about ten settlers armed with clubs arrived at the community of Nab'a al-Ghazal (al-Farisiyah). They sang, danced and waved Israeli flags near the tents. Israeli activists present in the community called the police and military, who arrived, and shortly after, the settlers moved to the entrance of the community. However, about half an hour later, after the police and soldiers left, the settlers returned and smashed nine solar panels provided to the community by the Comet-ME organization, with stones and clubs. As they left, they set fire to a resident’s car parked about 50 meters from the community.

‘Ali Abu Muhsen, 76, resident of Nab'a al-Ghazal:

We’ve lived in the community of Nab'a al-Ghazal for years, on land owned by my family. We live in tents and raise sheep, which is the main source of income for us and for my married sons’ families, who live next to me. Altogether, there are 25 of us, including 15 minors. My wife and I are elderly and suffer from chronic illnesses.

Ever since the war began in October 2023, we’ve lived in fear and anxiety. Settlers graze their sheep in our cultivated fields and among our homes, and the army supports them. We’re constantly afraid of being attacked.

On Sunday, 14 April 2024, at around 2:00 A.M., about ten settlers holding clubs and sticks gathered near our tents. We recognized some of them from nearby settlements and outposts. They started singing, dancing, and shouting in Hebrew. I didn’t understand what they said, but activists told us they were chanting slogans and threatening us.

At that point, I told my family and my sons’ families to get away from our homes, fearing for their lives. The activists called the army and police, who arrived, but the settlers stayed for a short time and then moved to the entrance of our community. When things calmed down a bit, some of us returned to the tents. The police and army also moved off to the main road and the entrance to the Rotem settlement.

Image

Suddenly, about half an hour later, the settlers came back and smashed the solar panels we had received from the Comet-ME organization to provide electricity for the community’s homes. They destroyed almost 18 panels and then left. The police returned only after the settlers had already left. Suddenly, we heard my nephew, Ahmad Abu Muhsen, 33, who lives about 50 meters west of us, crying out. The settlers had set fire to his parked car. It was a very difficult night. Everyone was extremely stressed and paralyzed with fear, and the children cried. We stayed up all night, fearing they would come back.

Some people here considered leaving, but if we go, we’ll have no pasture for our sheep and no income.

Early in the morning, soldiers and police returned, along with vehicles from the settlement council. They saw the destruction the settlers had caused, the burned car and the ruined solar panels. But we’re certain they’ll do nothing, because everyone supports the settlers and stands by them. They want to expel us, but we have nowhere to go. We will stay on our land, but we worry the settlers’ attacks will intensify, because they control the area. The army and police only do their bidding. They’re extremely aggressive, savage. We fear for ourselves, especially for our babies and young children. What can we do? We call on all parties around the world to protect us and ask that they be removed from here.