During the night of 23 to 24 April, the Israeli settlers from a new illegal outpost stormed the village of Bardala in the northern Jordan Valley, caused heavy material damages and wounded 7 Palestinian residents defending their belongings. Israeli army and police entered the village alongside settlers.

• Settlers reportedly initiated the attack after confronting Palestinians working on nearby farmland : one group vandalized the village’s agricultural water pipelines, prompting several local farmers to mobilize in defense of their land and property

• Israeli settlers set fire to the Jahalin family : 2 homes, a goat pen, and property on the outskirts of the village in the presence of Israeli soldiers.

• The fire, which firefighters were prevented from reaching to extinguish, destroyed everything in the house and spread to the adjacent livestock pens to the point that some sheep were burned alive, and the sound of their pain as they were burned to death pained all the residents of the area.

• They opened fire on Palestinian residents, wounding several young men and preventing ambulances from transporting them through the Hamra checkpoint.

• Israeli soldiers arrested five Palestinians, accused of throwing rocks.

• Israeli soldiers fired at Palestinians during the clashes, claiming to remove an “immediate threat” (see IDF statement below)

Casualties and Damage:

• Seven Palestinians were wounded, two of them critically.

• Ahmad Jahalin’s family lost two homes, a goat pen, clothes, money, and documents.

• Jahalin’s 20-year-old son was arrested; his location is unknown.

Palestinian Resident Testimony:

"We fled from the house without taking anything – not gold, not the kushan [title deed], not IDs," Jahalin said. "They burned everything. Clothes, mattresses, money; nothing is left." Jahalin: “They burned everything. Clothes, mattresses, money; nothing is left.”

Mistaclim statement via Andrey X

"SETTLER ATTACK ON BARDALA LAST NIGHT: PRESS RELEASE

Field Report – “Save the Jordan Valley” Campaign

On Wednesday night, around 10:00 PM, the village of Bardala in the northern Jordan Valley came under a violent attack by groups of settlers. One group vandalized the village’s agricultural water pipelines, prompting several local farmers to mobilize in defense of their land and property.

After successfully repelling the initial attackers, the farmers were ambushed by another group of armed settlers lying in wait. The situation quickly escalated into direct gunfire, resulting in injuries to seven civilians — two of whom are in critical condition.

Despite the presence of the Israeli army and police, no action was taken to stop the assault. Instead, the soldiers provided protection to the settlers, who took advantage of the situation to continue their attack. They advanced toward residential homes in the village, setting fire to Ahmad Ibrahim Jahal in Alaa Jahalin’s home, as well as his father’s. These two homes housed two families — a total of ten people, the majority of whom are women and girls. Both homes, consisting of residential tents, a structure, and their contents — including furniture, personal documents, cement house and livestock shelters (barracks), covered an area of approximately 160 m² — were completely destroyed.

This attack is part of a broader escalation that has been ongoing for more than a week, during which Bardala’s agricultural water networks have repeatedly been sabotaged by settlers. The village is now completely encircled by an apartheid wall, with a new settlement outpost recently established nearby. A military checkpoint has also been set up, severing Bardala’s connection to the city of Tubas via the Ibziq road.

What happened in Bardala is a deliberate and organized crime, carried out under the protection of the occupation. It represents a direct threat to the continued presence of Palestinian communities in the Jordan Valley and demands urgent action from human rights organizations and the international community.

The IDF Spokesperson's Unit statement:

As usual, they pretended, against all the eyewitnesses and the evidence, that Palestinians were throwing rocks at an Israeli civilian who drove past Bardala, clashing with several Palestinians who threw stones at him. "During the clash, more Israeli civilians arrived and fired into the air." The IDF said that when the report was received, "an IDF force rushed to the location to disperse the clash and fired at a number of Palestinians to remove an immediate threat." According to the statement, the soldiers arrested "a number of Palestinians suspected of throwing stones," who were taken for "continued interrogation by defense officials." The army said it is still investigating the incident.

Recurring Violence since December 2024:

• In December, Israelis established a new illegal outpost near Bardala. Ever since, villagers have faced repeated violent attacks. This wasn’t the first attack on the Jahalin family.Three months ago, settlers threw rocks at their home. Since December, after the creation of a nearby illegal outpost, attacks on Bardala have increased.

• A new road built by the IDF blocks 25 families from accessing their farmland and pastures, impacting their livelihood.