BETHLEHEM / PNN/ Report By Monjed Jadou — The Nasrallah Al-Amouri family, originally displaced from the village of Dar al-Sheikh southwest of Jerusalem, is among many Palestinian families that have spent decades rebuilding their lives in Aida refugee camp near Bethlehem after the 1948 Nakba. Today, the family says it is reliving a new chapter of displacement amid escalating settler attacks on their home in the Khallat al-Louz area south of the city.
The family said the latest incident came as Palestinians marked the anniversary of the Nakba, after receiving reports that settlers had stormed their house in Khallat al-Louz, where attacks by hardline settlers have intensified in what residents say are efforts to force Palestinians out and expand settlement activity.
Tahrir Nasrallah, one of the homeowners, told the Palestine News Network (PNN) that settlers have repeatedly targeted the property over the past two years, carrying out several attacks on the house and nearby homes, while threatening residents and engaging in what he described as widespread acts of intimidation. He said settlers first raided the house on Friday evening, taking control of its contents.
“We arrived around sunset and found settlers inside, carrying out the furniture and belongings — including the fridge, washing machine and kitchen fittings. They were armed, and we couldn’t get in,” he said.
Nasrallah added that Israeli police and soldiers were present at the scene but did not prevent settlers from removing the contents of the house. Instead, police instructed the family to leave and return the following day.
“When we came back the next day, there were no police or officials there. We entered the house, and suddenly more than 40 settlers attacked us,” he said.
The attackers, some arriving in vehicles and tractors, assaulted family members with sticks as they attempted to defend themselves, leaving five people injured and causing extensive damage to what remained of the home. Nasrallah said the family tried to document the attack, but the assailants confiscated their mobile phones at gunpoint in the presence of Israeli forces.
He added that attempts to file a complaint were unsuccessful. Although a police vehicle later arrived and directed them to a police station in the Beitar settlement, the family said they waited for hours without being received.
At least four neighbouring families have since fled their homes due to repeated attacks, he said, adding that residents are living in “constant fear” amid ongoing violence. Nasrallah called on Palestinian authorities, human rights organisations and foreign diplomatic missions to provide protection for residents, citing a lack of basic services and deteriorating infrastructure in the area.
Despite the attacks, he said the family remains determined to stay.
“We are holding on to our land. This is the home we built over a lifetime for our children, and we will not leave it,” he said.
He added that the family has begun legal proceedings through a lawyer, despite receiving threats from settlers warning them not to return to the property.