**Context:** - The Dance of Flags (or March of Flags) is an annual parade held on Jerusalem Day to mark what some Israelis call the "reunification of Jerusalem," following Israel's annexation of East Jerusalem after the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, including the Old City and its holy sites sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims. - The event, dominated by far-right Jewish Israelis and groups like Lehava, passes through the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City, often resulting in violence and racist chants targeting Palestinians. Many Palestinian residents close their businesses and homes on this day to avoid violence, and the Israel Police enforce closures and checkpoints. - The event is closely associated with the Religious Zionism party, which led efforts for judicial reform in Israel in 2023. - The parade features Israeli flag-bearers, mobile orchestras, and performances, but today it is largely attended by members of the Religious Zionism movement. - Extremist Jewish youths attending the Flag March have been known to harass and beat Palestinians during the procession, especially as it enters the Old City through the Muslim Quarter’s Damascus Gate. - On June 2024, march saw several attacks on Palestinians and journalists by marchers, who chanted anti-Arab refrains and plastered stickers on shuttered shops supporting the ideology of the late ultranationalist rabbi Meir Kahane and calling for the expulsion of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip. **On May 26, 2025** - National-religious Israelis clash with Palestinian shopkeepers and sing racist chants in the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City ahead of the annual contentious Flag March. - The Jewish marchers chant “Death to Arabs” while thronging the Muslim Quarter. - A group of Jewish young men and teens singing “May your village burn,” a common anti-Arab refrain. - Some are filmed shoving an elderly Palestinian man making his way through the crowd. - One of the Jewish teen celebrants attempts to prevent the reporter from filming as police and border cops use force to separate the crowd from Palestinians and left-wing activist - A Palestinian youth was arrested after he pepper-sprayed a crowd of Jewish revelers during a scuffle that broke out between the two groups. - The video shows security officials escorting a group of Arab women away from the jostling crowd in the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City. But, in the international press, the role of the Israeli Police is more criticized noticing that a policeman raised his arms in celebration at one point, recognizing a marcher and going in for a hug. - Activits from "Standing Together" were seen assaulted or harrassed by the young marchers. **Al Aqsa mosquee desecration** Hundreds of Jewish "Marchers" desecrated the mosquee Al Aqsa with dances, prayers and Israeli flags, even if this place is prohibated for Jews in order to avoid escalation between Muslim and Jewish communities in Jerusalem and in the diplomatic international relations. Al-Aqsa Mosque is part of the Haram al-Sharif (also known to Jews as the Temple Mount) in East Jerusalem. According to the long-standing "status quo" agreement (established under Ottoman, then British, Jordanian, and later Israeli authority): Muslims have the exclusive right to worship at the Al-Aqsa Mosque. But Non-Muslims, including Jews, are allowed to visit, but not pray at the site. This arrangement is overseen by the Islamic Waqf (a Jordanian religious trust), while Israel controls security. **Assault of a group of photojournalists and a media crew** According to MADA Center, Israeli settlers physically and verbally assaulted a group of photojournalists and a media crew in Jerusalem on Monday morning, during their coverage of their incursion into Al-Aqsa Mosque. According to photojournalist Firas Fayez Hindawi (34 years old), he and fellow cameraman Ghassan Khader Abu Eid (43 years old) went to Bab al-Amud in Jerusalem on Monday morning to cover the settler march. They observed settlers attacking other journalists — Al-Ghad TV cameraman Iyad Abu SHalbak and reporter Razi Tattour — and approached to document the assault, at which point the settlers turned their aggression toward them, particularly targeting Ghassan. The settlers grabbed the journalists’ camera lenses to prevent filming and violently pushed them. The confrontation escalated into a direct clash between Ghassan and the settlers. The journalists endured a barrage of insults, obscene language, and even spitting, not just from those directly involved, but from passersby as well — “Everyone passing by was spitting” Hindawi said. The pushing was not merely harassment, but a deliberate effort to force the journalists out of the Bab al-Amud area entirely. *Dangerous Precedents:* In recent years, especially under far-right Israeli politicians and settler groups, Jewish visits — and even prayers — have increasingly occurred at the site, often with police escort. This is seen by Palestinians and much of the Muslim world as a violation of the status quo, and a step toward asserting Jewish religious control over the site. Many fear it sets a "dangerous precedent" because it could trigger wider religious conflict, given the site's extreme sensitivity. It may pave the way for partitioning the compound, as happened at the Ibrahimi Mosque (Cave of the Patriarchs) in Hebron, after the 1994 massacre — where Jews and Muslims were eventually allocated separate space. Thee Second Intifada (2000) were triggered by Ariel Sharon’s visiting to the Al Aqsa compound. **UNRWA compound assault** A small group of protesters, including an Israeli member of parliament Yulia Malinovsky of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, meanwhile, stormed a compound in east Jerusalem belonging to the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA. Malinovsky set up a makeshift “parliamentary office” near the compound at Ammunition Hill in Jerusalem. She was one of the sponsors of the law to shut down UNRWA’s operations in Israel. She took a jab at the coalition: “Happy Jerusalem Day! Government of Israel, we’re here—you’re welcome to come and see how sovereignty is applied". **Echoes in the International Media Outlets** The event is reported in the international Media, in reason of the risk to inflame tensions in a context of the genocide in Gaza. Aviv Tatarsky, a researcher with the Ir Amim non-profit that works for an equitable Jerusalem, said: “It deprives people of their economic livelihood, makes them feel unsafe in their surroundings. Symbolically it sends a message: ‘You don’t belong here, we are the ones who own this place.’” **B'tselem statement** "The ‘Flag March’ is an example of Jewish supremacy: thousands of Jewish-Israelis celebrate defiantly while Palestinians are forced to shut their shops and stay home in fear." **Emek Shaveh statement** "The march is anything but a show of love for Jerusalem. It is anything but educational. It is what a society looks like when it has lost its way."

On May 25, 2025, the city of Nablus in the northern West Bank experienced a series of violent incidents involving Israeli forces and settlers, leading to significant unrest and casualties. **Israeli Military Raids:** Israeli troops conducted raids in Nablus and Ramallah, following a surge in violent settler attacks across the West Bank. The Israeli occupation forces raided the old city of Nablus and detained the Palestinian youth Jehad Aqoub after shooting him on the roof of his home. The operation was under Shin Bet direction, Israeli undercover counter-terror forces (Yamam). The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) reported on Sunday morning that around 10 Palestinians were wounded during the latest Israeli raid in the Old City of Nablus this morning, who suffered suffocation due to tear gas inhalation and were treated at the scene. The PRCS also reported that a 16-year-old boy, Mujahid Akoub, was shot during a raid on the Old City, stating he was struck by live ammunition in the foot. According to al-Araby al-Jadeed, The New Arab’s Arabic-language news site, three (under) 10-year-old children from the village of Beit Dajan, east of Nablus, were arrested on Sunday. Israeli soldiers arrested a Palestinian child from his home in Beit Dajan, east of Nablus. They took him into a military vehicle. It seems he was only seven years old. **Settler Violence:** Illegal Israeli settlers set fire to wheat fields in the Salim plain, east of Nablus in the occupied West Bank,causing substantial losses to Palestinian farmers. Settlers from the illegal Shavei Shomron settlement and a nearby outpost set fire to about 10 acres of wheat fields in Sebastian.The blaze destroyed the entire crop of two Palestinian farmers—roughly 7.5 football fields. Settlers also used sheep to graze on the Palestinian farmland, further destroying crops.

On May 25, in the morning, reports were published confirming that the Barakat family in Burqin, Salfit, was forced to leave their home during the night of May 23–24, 2025. According to Al-Jarmaq News, the family was compelled to evacuate due to repeated attacks by Israeli settlers. Additionally, Suribelle reported that Yafi Barakat, along with his wife and children, was forced to leave their home in Burqin, west of Salfit, in the occupied West Bank. These sources indicate that the Barakat family's displacement was a result of coordinated settler violence, which has been escalating in Burqin over recent days. For Activstills reporting by the Palestinian Photographer Wahaj Bani Moufleh the house targeted ownes to Mustafa abdlrahman Khater, located just a few meters of a new Israeli outpost During the night of May 25,while the residents were asleep,gangs of Israeli settlers infiltrated the village of Burqin, west of Salfit in the West Bank, and set fire to their homes with them inside A Palestinian elderly woman was injured and is receiving first aid after Israeli settlers tried to burn her and her family alive. She was rescued just moments before the flames engulfed their home. ### **Chronological summary of the events in Bruqin (Burqin) village near Salfit, May 14–24, 2025** ** May 14, 2025 – Evening** - After a shooting attack kills an Israeli settler and injures her husband near Bruqin, the Israeli Forces (IDF) storm the village. - They raid homes, assault residents, and turn some houses into military posts and interrogation centers. **May 15, 2025 – Morning** - IDF announces seizure of 2,336 dunums of land (2,323 in al-Balata; 13 in al-Fakhakhir and al-Shayyab). - 20 bulldozers begin razing the land. - In the evening, settlers set up a large tent and raise Israeli flags, declaring a new outpost. **May 16, 2025** - Additional settlers arrive, erecting two more tents on the razed land. **May 17, 2025 – Morning** - IDF announces the killing of Nael Samara, alleged perpetrator of the earlier shooting, after arresting him that day. **May 19, 2025** - IDF demolishes a 3-storey house after forcibly evacuating its residents. - They take measurements of Nael Samara’s family home, suggesting a pending demolition. **May 21–22, 2025** Ongoing IDF siege of Bruqin includes: - Closure of village entrances. - Restriction of movement. - Closure of shops and main bakery. - Continued settler violence including attacks, threats, and property seizures. **May 22 pogrom:** - Resident Rakiz Khatir is attacked by 30 settlers while driving. - Vehicle is stoned, he sustains eye and head injuries. - IDF allegedly watched but did not intervene. **May 23, 2025 – 22:00 Violent pogrom with several arsons** Coordinated settler attacks on the al-Buq’an area: - Houses and vehicles set on fire. - IDF fires tear gas and stun grenades at Palestinians trying to defend themselves. - 8 people sustain burns, 2 injured by stones, 6+ vehicles and houses burned. - Israeli soldiers obstructs firefighters and allows violence to continue.  *Establishment of an Israeli outpost, Bruqin, 23.5.2025 Photographer: Wahaj Bani Moufleh* *Israeli settlers dance to celebrate the establishment of a new outpost, right above Palestinian homes in the village of Bruqin, west of the city of Salfit in the West Bank, May 23, 2025. The previous night, Israeli settlers seized Palestinian land, attempted to burn Palestinian houses, sat fire to agricultural land, raised Israeli flags, and began constructing a settlement outpost after a settler was killed in a shooting attack near the village on May 14.*   *Bruqin, 23.5.2025 Photographer: Wahaj Bani Moufleh The vandalized roof of the Palestinian home of Mustafa Khater after Israeli settlers established a new outpost, seen at the background, located right above Palestinian homes* **Ongoing Situation (as of May 24, 2025)** Bruqin remains under siege while soldiers and settlers continue: - Land confiscation and settlement expansion. - Raids and collective punishment. - Communication with villagers is limited due to restrictions. **Human rights groups (e.g. PCHR) condemn the actions and call for international accountability.**

Umm al-Fahm is a city located in northern Israel, within the Haifa District. It is situated in the Wadi Ara area of the Jezreel Valley region. Umm al-Fahm is one of the largest Arab cities in Israel and lies approximately 20 kilometers southeast of Haifa. Since October 7, Palestinian activists in Umm al-Fahm have faced repression but continue organizing protests through the local popular committee. Historically central to Palestinian resistance within Israel: birthplace of Abnaa al-Balad (1969), stronghold of the outlawed Northern Islamic Movement, and a focal point of the 2021 Unity Intifada. Known for mobilizing against both Israeli state policies and organized crime, often uniting youth and veteran leaders. **Post-October 7 Climate:** First licensed anti-war protest in Israel took place in Umm al-Fahm on Oct 19, 2023, after police blocked attempts in Haifa. Leaders Muhammad Taher Jabareen and Ahmad Khalifah were arrested and jailed for months. Demonstrations are regularly harassed by police, with restrictions such as bans on displaying the Palestinian flag. Escalation: **On November 15, 2024**, Hundreds of Palestinian citizens of Israel marched in Umm al-Fahm to protest against Israel’s military operations in Gaza. Border Police heavily secured the area. Lawmaker Ahmad Tibi took part in the rally. **On March 9, 2024**, Hundreds of Palestinian Arab and left-wing Israeli activists marched in Umm al-Fahm demanding a ceasefire and an end to the war. Placards read slogans like “Stop the Bloodshed” and “Free Gaza.” **Early 2024 Onwards** The Popular Committee and local groups organized ongoing weekly protests—typically at the city’s entrance or municipal center. These included: A tense standoff on **April 5, 2025**,  **On April 5, 2025**: Hundreds protested near Wadi ‘Ara road in Umm al-Fahm, creating a standoff with police. **On April 9, 2025**: Raja Eghbarieh, leader of Abnaa al-Balad, was arrested and placed in administrative detention without charge — a major escalation targeting Palestinian political leadership. **On May 24 2025**, A national demonstration was organized by Umm al-Fahm’s popular committee, supported by the Higher Follow-Up Committee of Arab citizens of Israel and the Committee for Solidarity with detainee Raja Eghbarieh. Slogans included: “We stand with our people,” “No to ethnic cleansing and genocide,” and “Freedom to Raja and all detainees.” Although licensed, police disrupted the march — censoring banners, blocking the road, violently seizing Palestinian flags, and arresting a demonstrator. **On May 29, 2025**: Palestinians in the Naqab staged an unprecedented general strike against home demolitions; thousands protested in Bir al-Sabe’. **On May 31, 2025**: First licensed anti-war demonstration in Haifa since October 7, expected to be widely attended. **On June 7, 2025,** a protest was held outside the Israeli police station in Umm al-Fahm City condemning Israel’s demolition policy against their homes and properties. **On Augustus 15, 2025:** A protest was held in the city of Umm al-Fahm in 1948 Palestinian territories condemning the killing of journalists in Gaza and demanding the urgent entry of aid. Hundreds of Arab and Jewish protesters marched against police violence, occupation, and the judicial coup; and for security, peace, and equality. The Major deputy of the town was violenty beaten and arrested by Border police. Testimony of an activist 'Yoram" about the events : *"What happened tonight in Umm al-Fahm is that a legal protest vigil of three hundred demonstrators (yes, it was legal) lasted about 45 minutes and was supposed to end — when it was attacked by hundreds of border guards and uniformed police officers, who pushed, beat, and even prevented a voluntary and organized dispersal. It is clear to me that if al-Fahm continues to oppose the genocide…"* On September 2, 2025: On September 23, 2025:

On May 22, at the first hours of the night, Israeli settlers are carrying out a pogrom in the village of Burqin, Salfit, in the West Bank. Around 40 Israeli settlers rioted in the village of Burqin, in the West Bank, Palestine, burning houses and cars, according to a report by Israel’s state-owned television station, Kan TV News, on Friday (May 23). They setting Palestinian homes on fire in an apparent attempt to burn families alive and opening fire at houses. - Residents are urgently pleading for help. - 8 Palestinians, including children, have been injured - Six homes and five cars have been set on fire in the ongoing assault. - According to the report, the riots took place overnight, shortly after Israeli soldiers completed a mapping operation in preparation for the possible demolition of two homes belonging to Palestinian residents suspected of involvement in a shooting attack that killed a pregnant Israeli woman near the village on May 14. - The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that the two individuals whose homes were mapped are Maher Samara and Jamil Samara, accusing them of assisting Nael Samara in carrying out the shooting attack. **Franceska Albanese appeal on X** ALARMING! Burqin, near Salfit, occupied West Bank- Desperate phone calls report violent attack by armed settlers, escorted by army- babies at great risk- Need for urgent intervention and protection from diplomats and NGOs in loco. ### **Chronological summary of the events in Bruqin (Burqin) village near Salfit, May 14–24, 2025** ** May 14, 2025 – Evening** - After a shooting attack kills an Israeli settler and injures her husband near Bruqin, the Israeli Forces (IDF) storm the village. - They raid homes, assault residents, and turn some houses into military posts and interrogation centers. **May 15, 2025 – Morning** - IDF announces seizure of 2,336 dunums of land (2,323 in al-Balata; 13 in al-Fakhakhir and al-Shayyab). - 20 bulldozers begin razing the land. - In the evening, settlers set up a large tent and raise Israeli flags, declaring a new outpost. **May 16, 2025** - Additional settlers arrive, erecting two more tents on the razed land. **May 17, 2025 – Morning** - IDF announces the killing of Nael Samara, alleged perpetrator of the earlier shooting, after arresting him that day. **May 19, 2025** - IDF demolishes a 3-storey house after forcibly evacuating its residents. - They take measurements of Nael Samara’s family home, suggesting a pending demolition. **May 21–22, 2025** On Wednesday (May 21), the IDF claimed that Nael Samara, who was shot dead by its forces on Saturday (May 17), was the gunman responsible for the shooting attack. Ongoing IDF siege of Bruqin includes: - Closure of village entrances. - Restriction of movement. - Closure of shops and main bakery. - Continued settler violence including attacks, threats, and property seizures. **May 22 pogrom:** - Resident Rakiz Khatir is attacked by 30 settlers while driving. - Vehicle is stoned, he sustains eye and head injuries. - IDF allegedly watched but did not intervene. **May 23, 2025 – 22:00 Violent pogrom with several arsons** Coordinated settler attacks on the al-Buq’an area: - Houses and vehicles set on fire. - IDF fires tear gas and stun grenades at Palestinians trying to defend themselves. - 8 people sustain burns, 2 injured by stones, 6+ vehicles and houses burned. - Israeli soldiers obstructs firefighters and allows violence to continue. **Ongoing Situation (as of May 24, 2025)** Bruqin remains under siege while soldiers and settlers continue: - Land confiscation and settlement expansion. - Raids and collective punishment. - Communication with villagers is limited due to restrictions. **Human rights groups (e.g. PCHR) condemn the actions and call for international accountability.**

On May 21, in the afternoon, Israeli soldiers opened fire on an international diplomatic delegation at the eastern entrance of Jenin refugee camp, West Bank. The incident occurred near the Jenin refugee camp, an area under a major Israeli military operation. The incident occurred during an official visit. The occupation forces opened heavy fire from inside the Jenin refugee camp to intimidate the diplomatic delegation that is conducting a field tour around the camp to witness the extent of the suffering endured by the residents of the area. According to the Israeli army, the diplomats had deviated from the pre-approved route and entered an active military zone. In response, soldiers fired into the air to push them back, and no injuries were reported. Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot expressed serious concern, noting that the visit had been coordinated with the Israeli army and that the convoy of about twenty vehicles was clearly marked as diplomatic. He demanded credible explanations from Israel. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called the incident "unacceptable" and urged Israel to conduct a thorough investigation to identify those responsible. The delegation included diplomats from several countries, including the UK, Canada, France, China, Russia, and the European Union. The event comes amid growing international criticism of Israeli military operations in the West Bank and Gaza, which continue to cause civilian suffering and raise legal and human rights concerns. - France - Belgium - Nerderland - United Kingdom - Canada - Egypt - Jordan - Morocco - Austria - Ireland - Spain - Portugal - China - Brazil - Bulgaria - Türkiye - Lithuania - Poland - Russia - Japan - Romania - Mexico - Sri Lanka - India - Chile **Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) statement** *"@IDF : Earlier today (Wednesday), a coordinated entry of a diplomatic delegation into Jenin took place. As part of the coordination, an approved route was provided to the delegation members, which they were instructed to follow due to the area being an active combat zone. According to an initial inquiry, the delegation deviated from the approved route and entered an area where they were not authorized to be. IDF soldiers operating in the area fired warning shots to distance them away. No injuries or damages were reported. At the end of the incident, once it was clarified that the individuals were part of a diplomatic delegation, the Commander of the Judea and Samaria Division, Brigadier General Yaki Dolf, immediately reviewed the incident. In addition, the Head of the Civil Administration, Brigadier General Hisham Ibrahim, instructed unit officers to immediately speak with representatives of the relevant countries, and he will soon hold personal conversations with the diplomats to update them on the findings of the initial inquiry. The IDF regrets the inconvenience caused."* **Statement of Roland Friedrich, the Director of UNRWA Affairs for the West Bank, including East Jerusalem** *Today the Israeli Security Forces opened fire on a diplomatic delegation in the vicinity of #JeninCamp during an official visit hosted by the @pmofa. The @UNRWA colleagues who were present are safe and accounted for. This incident is a stark reminder of the lax use of excessive force routinely deployed by Israeli Security Forces in the #WestBank, often with lethal consequences. While the West Bank is not a war zone, so far this year 137 Palestinians have been killed in occupation-related violence. The IDF has said they are investigating the incident. However, claims such as “mistakenly identifying [the delegation] as a threat” and firing “warning shots” do not fully capture the severity of today's events. This raises serious concerns over the way rules of engagement are applied to unarmed civilians. Access to Jenin Camp has been near-impossible since the Israeli Security Forces operation ‘Iron Wall’ commenced on 21 January 2025. All #PalestineRefugees have been forcibly displaced from the camp, and @UNRWA services there have been fully suspended. Safe #HumanitarianAccess must be restored, and those displaced must be allowed to return immediately."

**On the beginning of May 2025**, the village of Al-Sirr, located in the Naqab (Negev) region, has experienced large-scale demolition operations carried out by Israeli occupation bulldozers. Al-Sirr, also known as Qasr al-Sir (Arabic: قصر السر), (The village appears in English sources under several spellings: Al-Sirr / Al-Sir / Al-Serr / Qasr al-Sir) is a Bedouin village located in the Negev desert of southern Israel, approximately 3 kilometers west of Dimona and adjacent to Highway 25. The village covers an area of 4,776 dunams (approximately 4.776 km²) and had a population of 2,867 as of 2022. ### **Timelines of events** **On August 18, 2025**, Israeli authorities demolished homes belonging to the Abu Jadoua family and and facilities belonging to the Nasayra family in the unrecognized village of Al-Sir, on the outskirts of the Bedouin town of Shaqib al-Salam in the Naqab region. The demolitions, carried out under heavy police presence. Critics, including Adalah and local advocacy groups, denounce the demolitions as systemic discrimination and land dispossession. They argue that “development” initiatives such as the Negev Development Plan—framed as modernization—serve primarily to clear Indigenous Bedouin from their land to make way for Jewish colonies, agritech hubs, and relocated military bases, while excluding Bedouin villages from recognition or investment. **On August 26, 2025**, Israeli bulldozers demolished seven homes, under heavy police protection. The 1,500 residents, haves already seen over 60 demolitions in recent months, with more than 200 additional homes slated for destruction following a court-ordered evacuation. **On September 7-9, 2025**, Residents of Al-Sirr, a village of about 1,500 people in the Negev, were forced to self-demolish 15 homes and two sheds over the past two days, with fears that Israeli authorities could carry out further demolitions affecting around 30 more homes and impose heavy fines. Some residents refuse to comply, disputing the promised compensation of 250,000 shekels for self-demolished buildings, citing its ineffective application in other villages. The Bedouin Resettlement Authority provides no practical solutions after demolitions. In recent months, over 60 homes and agricultural facilities in Al-Sirr have already been demolished, with plans to remove more than 200 homes following a Beersheba court decision. **On September 11, 2025,** Israeli police forces demolished more than 25 homes and set several others on fire. The destroyed homes belonged to the Abu Adwan, Al-Kharoumi, and Al-Dabbari families. Dozens of residents, including women, children, and the elderly, were left homeless in the open after the demolitions. Local sources reported that heavily armed Israeli police units secured bulldozers and demolition crews during the operation, which also saw the uprooting of olive trees, burning, and leveling of homes. The police forces are expected to continue large-scale demolitions, targeting dozens more inhabited homes in the area. **On September 17, 2025**, early in the morning a large numbers of Israeli l forces, accompanied by heavy bulldozers, are storming Al-Sir village to carry out demolition orders against Palestinian-owned homes and shops. Israeli authorities and Police and bulldozers razed ~40 structures.Footage shows bulldozers uprooting olive trees in the village. Clashes erupted between Israeli police and Palestinian residents protesting the demolition of homes in Al-Sir village in occupied Al-Naqab. Bedouin rResidents burned down several houses in protest against the demolition orders set to be carried out by Israeli forces in the morning. ******** ### **The ethnic cleansing pattern** **Apartheid by infrastructure isolation** Despite being officially recognized by the Israeli government in 1999, Al-Sirr faces significant infrastructural challenges. The village lacks connection to the national electricity grid, water system, and waste removal services. Residents rely on solar panels for electricity and must pipe water from a connection point on the main water pipe. Additionally, most roads in the village remain unpaved. **Demolition pressure on the Bedouin community** In November 2023, Israeli demolition vehicles began tearing down 18 homes belonging to the Al-Walidi family in Al-Sirr. This action is part of broader policies affecting Bedouin communities in the Negev, where many villages, including Al-Sirr, face threats of demolition and displacement due to lack of formal planning and infrastructure. Since the start of the Netanyahu government, over 5,000 homes and facilities in the Negev have been demolished. In 2024 alone, over 4,000 Bedouin structures were destroyed, part of a demolition surge of 400% linked to state plans for Jewish settlement expansion and military-industrial projects in the south. The campaign targets the displacement of residents from 38 unrecognized villages, affecting around 90,000 people, to confine them to recognized towns and pave the way for new colonial settlements. Despite longstanding ancestral ties, these communities remain excluded from national planning schemes, leaving them without electricity, water, or infrastructure. **Geographical and political issues** The Negev (النقب in Arabic, הנגב in Hebrew) is a vast desert region located in southern Israel, covering about 60% of Israel’s territory. It's fully under Israeli administration since the creation of the State of Israel in 1948. It is considered by Israel—and widely recognized internationally—as sovereign Israeli territory (unlike the West Bank, Gaza, or East Jerusalem, which the UN considers occupied territories).The Negev is not considered a “disputed territory” in UN resolutions, but Bedouin land rights and forced relocation policies have drawn strong criticism from human rights organizations. Population: Mostly Jewish in the cities (Beer-Sheva, Dimona, Eilat), but also home to a significant Arab Bedouin population, some of whom live in unrecognized villages facing land disputes and forced evictions. Israeli government development and industrial projects in the area have created tensions with local Bedouin communities. So, from the standpoint of international law, the Negev is part of Israel (not under military occupation), but there is an internal dispute over land use and Bedouin rights. **A slow Nakbah* On March 2025, Adalah - The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, fiiled a motion for the Israel’s Supreme Court challenging the forced eviction of over 500 Palestinian citizens from the Bedouin village of Ras Jrabah in the Naqab to expand the Jewish city of Dimona. They argues the displacement constitutes racial segregation and violates Israeli constitutional and international law. Residents, members of the Al-Hawashleh tribe who have lived on the land for generations, offered to be integrated into Dimona, but authorities insist on relocating them to Qasr Al-Sirr, a Bedouin-only town. Adalah and Bimkom proposed alternatives to incorporate Ras Jrabah into Dimona, but these were rejected. Critics say the refusal to consider alternatives exposes a discriminatory agenda tied to Israel’s broader policy of land appropriation and forced displacement. Adalah warned that the plan reflects the 2018 Jewish Nation-State Law, which prioritizes Jewish settlement and entrenches systemic inequality. This occured 2 months before the village of Al-Sirr was under demolition order.

Maghayer Al-Dir, also known as Mughayyir al-Deir, is a small Bedouin Palestinian shepherding village in Area C located in the central West Bank, east of Ramallah, east of the Allon Road and is surrounded by Israeli settlements such as Ma'ale Mikhmas and the outpost Mitzpe Dani. It was one of the last Palestinian community remaining in the area before its displacement. Masked and unmasked settlers inflicted violence, creating a climate of terror and dehumanization. Israeli settlers used psychological Warfare tolding Palestinians to come toward them while shooting, then beat and humiliated them once they complied. After this forced displacement, no residents remain in the area between Ramallah and Jericho, except for two other communities: M’arajat and Ras Al-Auja. The entire village was depopulated, 25 houses lost, approximately 150 residents displaced. For many, this was their second displacement (originally expelled in 1948 from Be’er Sheva area). **Timeline of the ethnic cleansing** On May 18, 2025, Israeli settlers establish an illegal outpost (just a basic shelter and sheep pen) within 100 meters of a Palestinian home — a new, more aggressive tactic. On May 21–22, 2025: Confrontations escalate. Settlers violently attack residents and activists. The entire village flees. On May 23, 2025: Maghayer Al-Dir is fully emptied. All 25 families (~150 people) are displaced.Villagers lost homes, sheep, donkeys, and personal possessions. Maghayer Al-Dir is now completely depopulated : the residents fled to Wadi Al-Siq, itself previously emptied in October 2023. Settlers began provocations the same day residents were dismantling the last homes, signaling a deliberate attempt to claim abandoned land. **The Settler Violence & Theft:** - Settlers attacked villagers and activists with clubs, rifles, and stones and kicks while victims lay on the ground - Phones, wallets, keys, cameras, and bags were stolen or smashed. - At least three settlers fired guns, including M16s and pistols. - Settlers arrived on trucks and ATVs, in a clearly coordinated escalation. - Israeli army briefly intervened but then left, allowing settlers to resume attacks. - One settler was injured and lost consciousness; another fired into the air with a pistol. - More than 25 armed settlers participated in the attack. - The Livestock was theft (e.g., sheep and donkeys) was used as a tactic to claim land. - Video evidence shows a settler boasting: “Thank God we’ve driven everyone out … Here too there will be Jews.” - Survivors were “hunted” across a valley by Israeli settlers with pistols, rifles, and batons. - Settlers used drones to track fleeing people. **Victims:** 10 people were hospitalized, including: - A 14-year-old Palestinian boy (Omar), beaten with a club and left bleeding for over half an hour. - 8 other Palestinians - 1 Israeli activist and photographer (Avishay Mohar) who was severely beaten and robbed **Israeli authorities role** - The MK Zvi Sukkot came on the ground, just before the attack to support the settlers. - The Israeli army arrived late, only after significant violence had occurred. - The Israeli Civil Administration had issued a stop-work order for the outpost on May 18 — it was ignored. - Settlers claim impunity: “We’re the government,” one resident was told. -Sanctioned Settlers Present : Neria Ben Pazi and Zohar Sabah, both under UK sanctions, were involved in the broader campaign, though not directly in the physical attack described. British sanctions were imposed on settler leader Neria Ben Pazi, who was seen patrolling the village before the attack. - Despite early police and army presence, no meaningful protection was provided to Palestinians. “This is not done by crazy settlers. It’s a state project.” - Evidence of systematic coordination: phone calls to bring more settlers; deliberate weaponization of settler narratives to justify violence. **Wider Context:** - Since October 2023, over 60 Palestinian shepherding communities have been displaced in the West Bank. - At least 14 illegal settler outposts have been built on or near these ruins. - Settlers have seized over 786,000 dunams (~14% of the West Bank) via herding outposts. - Outposts are part of a state-backed settler strategy to control and annex Area C. **According to of Hasan Mleihat, spokesperson for the al-Baidar organization for the defense of Bedouin rights in Palestine** Israeli settlers have displaced 62 out of the 212 Bedouin communities in the West Bank since October 2023. These include 12,000 out of the roughly 400,000 West Bank Palestinian Bedouins. “It is a wholesale ethnic cleansing campaign of exclusively Bedouin communities, which has been happening far away from the media’s attention”. 8 families from Mughayyir al-Deir moved to the industrial zone of Beitunia, south of Ramallah. The rural Bedouin tents and sheep barracks add an almost surreal contrast to the polluted industrial and urban landscape. “There is nowhere to graze here; we are in the city, and not in the best part of it. We’re located between a dumpsite, a factory, and a cemetery,” said Ahmad. “We used to have a life, and it has come to an end. I can’t be a shepherd anymore, and I don’t know how we will live our lives from now on.”  *A part of the Maghayer al-Deir Bedouin community relocated to Beitunia outside of Ramallah. (Photo: Qassam Muaddi/Mondoweiss)* **Testimony of Mistaclim Activist group:** "The residents of the Bedouin shepherds community of Mughayyir Al-Dir received a "surprise" that has become all too familiar to Palestinian shepherd communities in Area C, and increasingly even in Area B, in recent years: settlers had established a new outpost nearby. What does a “new outpost” look like? A few shade nets, fences, a herd that were brought to the site, and most importantly a handful of young settlers guarded by armed militia members. This time, the outpost was set up a few dozen meters from the community's homes. In a report that was published in Haaretz about the outpost’s establishment, one of the settlers in the new outpost was quoted saying: “This is the only place that's left. That’s it, thank God we kicked everyone out, including you along with them.” >> The settler was referring to the fact that Mughayyir Al-Dir is now the only Bedouin community still living in the area, after a wave of expulsions that began in the summer of 2022 expelled the neighboring communities. In January 2024, we published a post about the community of Mughayyir Al-Dir, as part of a series highlighting communities at risk of imminent expulsion due to settler violence. Much of that violence stems from the isolated and violent settlement of Maale Michmash and the chain of ultra violent outposts surrounding it. We recommend revisiting that post for a deeper understanding of what has been unfolding in the area over recent decades and especially since October 7, 2023. As in many other cases, the new outpost is being built on a plot of land that was registered as state land during the Jordanian era, land that the State of Israel later looted and handed over to the criminal Mateh Binyamin Regional Council. We can assume that this council is behind the establishment of the new outpost. And what does the army have to say to the Haaretz reporter in response to settlers setting up an outpost just meters away from an isolated and battered Palestinian community? “The area does not encroach on the area where the Bedouins live”. For anyone still in doubt about the army’s role in the expulsion of Palestinian shepherd communities in the West Bank, here is yet another clear example." 📷 Documentation Photographer Avishay Mohar (B’Tselem) managed to hide memory cards documenting the attack before being assaulted

Around 10:45 pm, an Israeli airstrike targeted the apartment of the Abu Al-Rous family in Hamad City, Khan Younis, killing at least two members of the family. **Names of the martyrs:** 1. Ahmad Muhammad Abu Al-Rous 2. Nabila Abd Wafi Abu Al-Rous

Around 6:30 pm, an Israeli airstrike targeted a group of young men who were volunteering to dig a water well in the vicinity of a school/shelter in Al-Saftawi area in North Gaza, killing seven of them. Graphic footage from the scene showed at least three bodies gruesomely shredded, including one person beheaded and another blow in half. **Names of the martyrs:** 1. Ibrahim Muhammad Ismail Khilla 2. Ismail Muhammad Ismail Khilla 3. Tariq Ziad Tanboura 4. Anas Ramadan Shanan 5. Fawzi Nafidh Al-Dada 6. Hassan Mohammad Abu Warda 7. Awni Muhammad Abu al-Nour