Deir Istiya collective punishment

Translation of the Mistaclim thread

"Two laws for two peoples, or one law for one people. Under Israel’s military control over the Palestinians, collective punishment flourishes.

On Thursday evening, Molotov cocktails and stones were thrown at Israeli vehicles passing by Deir Istiya. Shortly afterwards, after bypassing the roadblocks it had set up at the entrance to the village, the army raided Deir Istiya. The time that had passed made the capture of the Molotov cocktail throwers impossible. The soldiers went from house to house and randomly arrested 74 men aged 15 to 70, who did not take part of the incident. In one house, the father of the family was forced to choose one of his two sons who were staying at the house. All the men, some of whom were unwell, were made to sit on the street and after an hour were put on a bus in handcuffs and taken to a military shooting range near the settlement of Yakir. There they were met by Captain Hussein, a Shin Bet agent, who explained that because the village head had not prevented the throwing of stones, they were all being punished and that he had no problem killing them. After about 5 hours, the handcuffs were cut, everyone was put on the bus and taken to the neighboring village. Their families came to pick them up from there at night. A similar case of arresting men occurred in the village of Hares several months ago, after stone-throwing.

Last night, around midnight, dozens of soldiers raided Deir Istiya. They broke into five houses, overturned the furniture, and terrorized the families.

Yesterday afternoon, as in many other cases, settlers threw stones at Palestinian vehicles on Route 60. No army came to stop them or arrest them.

Collective punishment is an old tactic. Since the massacre on October 7, the West Bank villages are closed, the settlers come and go freely, setting fire to villages and houses with their inhabitants, beating and abusing and returned home safely to the settlement or outpost, the Palestinians are collectively punished even if they have no idea what or why. In the eyes of the "occupation authorities," the Palestinians are not only not a people, they are also not human. Therefore, the authorities accept with understanding and even joy cooperate with, and sometimes even participate in practice in severe manifestations of violence."