Recurring settler attacks in Umm Safa

Umm Safa is a village in the Ramallah district of the West Bank, facing severe land seizure by Israeli settlers and military forces. The village has experienced regular invasions and attacks, with settlers and soldiers harassing residents, cutting water supplies, and storming homes, leading to a growing humanitarian crisis.

Land Seizure:

Israeli settlers, backed by the army, have been expropriating private lands from the village, leveling and destroying agricultural areas, including olive and grape trees. Settlers brought bulldozers to prepare the land for illegal settlement expansion on Jabal al-Ras and Abu Tantur hills.

Impact on Residents:

• The village has been under constant attacks from settlers and the Israeli army, with settler violence intensifying, especially since 2023.

• Settlers have already fired live bullets at homes, disrupted daily life, and attacked the local school during school hours.

• Multiple Palestinian youths, including Mohammed al-Bayed and Abdul Jiwad Salah, were killed while resisting the settler invasions.

Protests and Suppression:

• Villagers, alongside International or Jewish anti-sionist activists, protested the land seizures. These protests have been met with violent suppression by Israeli forces, using tear gas and stun grenades. Soldiers have destroyed monuments dedicated to villagers killed by the army, further intensifying tensions.

International Appeal:

The people and council of Umm Safa are appealing to the international community for solidarity and intervention, calling for action to stop the ongoing land theft, harassment, and displacement. Residents and solidarity activists have been persistently calling for international attention and justice, documenting these ongoing attacks and human rights violations.

Chronological summary of the recent events in Umm Safa

January 2024

• January 2: Israeli settlers, protected by the military, began bulldozing land in the Jabal al-Ras area of Umm Safa, initiating large-scale land theft aimed at settlement expansion.

• January 9: Palestinian man, Ameed Ibrahim Samih Jayousi (31), was killed by Israeli forces. His body was reportedly taken by settlers from a Palestinian ambulance near Umm Safa.

• January 13: Israeli anti-apartheid activists visited Umm Safa as attacks from settlers and Israeli military forces increased.

• January 20: Israeli forces suppressed Palestinian farmers and tried to prevent them from reaching their lands. Villagers, along with activists, planted olive trees on private lands, but the army uprooted them and fired tear gas at those present.

February 2024

• February 18: Israeli forces kidnapped a young Palestinian man, Muhammad Samih Karaja, after raiding his house in Umm Safa.

May 2024

• May 25: Every Friday, settlers from Ateret settlement have invaded the village’s lands, protected by the army. During this specific Friday, the army not only protected the settlers but also shot stun grenades and gas bombs into the village, setting a field on fire.

July 2024

• July 12: Israeli forces invaded a house in the village, took over the roof, and threw stun grenades at activists documenting the invasion.

September 2024

• September 9: Israeli bulldozers demolished approximately 200,000 m² of cultivated land in the Jabal al-Ras region, including olive and grape trees. Settlers and soldiers invaded the village, intensifying land destruction and harassment.

• September 11: Villagers of Umm Safa issued an urgent appeal to the international community, highlighting the continuous attacks by Israeli settlers and soldiers, with blockades cutting off access points to the village and daily harassment. They warned of impending displacement and ethnic cleansing due to the rapid settlement expansion.

• September 14: Israeli forces suppressed a peaceful anti-settlement protest march in Umm Safa with tear gas. Villagers and activists were demonstrating against the ongoing land seizures by settlers.

• September 15: Settlers continued leveling land just meters away from homes. Israeli forces again used stun grenades and tear gas to disperse demonstrators protesting the theft of 123.5 acres of land by settlers.

March 2025

• March 10 : A group of settlers infiltrated the western side of the village in the early hours of the morning and stormed a car garage belonging to citizen Mohammad Yusuf al-Sabti Sabah and his brother Raafat, where they set it on fire, which led to the complete burning of three vehicles.

Ongoing Attacks and Resistance:

• Throughout 2024, Umm Safa has been subjected to repeated attacks, with settlers frequently raiding homes, cutting water supplies, and threatening residents. The Israeli military has protected these settlers, often using force to suppress protests from the villagers.

• Villagers have tried to resist the settler takeovers by protesting, planting trees on their land, and collaborating with activists, but their efforts have been violently suppressed by Israeli forces.

Sources :

https://x.com/activestills/status/1809635795071885690 https://x.com/Mistaclim/status/1811848511329120455 https://x.com/PulseofPal/status/1833150391124443183 https://x.com/gazanotice/status/1835125987350069470 https://x.com/imemcnews/status/1834992391532454267 https://x.com/transandwell/status/1834902811550629921 https://x.com/ytirawi/status/1794371379409678695 https://x.com/ytirawi/status/1791901520344101365 https://imemc.org/article/army-suppresses-anti-settlement-march-near-ramallah/