Wounded, Displaced and Unbroken: Palestinian Women Face Escalating Israeli Settler Violence

HEBRON, occupied West Bank (PNN) –

As attacks by Israeli settlers and occupation forces continue to escalate across the occupied West Bank, Palestinian women are paying a disproportionate price, facing physical injuries, psychological trauma and growing economic hardship while carrying the burden of protecting their families under increasingly dangerous conditions.

For many women living in the isolated communities of Masafer Yatta, daily life has become a struggle for survival. They are not only direct victims of attacks but also caregivers for injured relatives, witnesses to repeated violence and the backbone of families determined to remain on their land despite mounting pressure to leave.

Women interviewed by the Palestine News Network (PNN) in the village of Susiya described months of attacks that have left them with permanent injuries, destroyed their homes and deepened fears for their children's safety. Despite the violence, they say they remain determined to stay, while calling on Palestinian authorities to provide greater medical, financial and humanitarian support.

Women on the Front Line

Residents say attacks have intensified over recent months, with women increasingly finding themselves at the center of settler assaults that include physical violence, arson attacks targeting homes and tents, intimidation and destruction of property.

Their testimonies reveal not only the immediate impact of these attacks but also the long-term physical and psychological consequences that continue long after the violence ends.

"We Refuse to Leave"

Halima Khalil Abu Eid, a resident of Susiya, said she continues to suffer after sustaining injuries that required surgery on her hand during a settler attack.

She appealed to Palestinian authorities to provide a medical referral so she can continue treatment with the specialist who performed her operation at Al-Ahli Hospital.

Abu Eid said life in Susiya has fundamentally changed since Oct. 7, 2023.

"What we are experiencing is no longer a series of isolated incidents," she said. "The attacks have become part of our daily lives."

She described repeated assaults involving physical attacks, intimidation and the burning of family shelters.

According to Abu Eid, settlers burned two family tents on March 18, following an earlier arson attack on May 15.

She believes the repeated attacks are intended to force Palestinian families from their land.

"They want us to leave," she said. "But if we intended to leave, we would have done so after the first attack."

Instead, she said, her family remains determined to stay despite repeated assaults that have endangered their lives.

Abu Eid also expressed disappointment over what she described as inadequate humanitarian follow-up after attacks, saying some organizations document incidents but fail to provide sustained assistance after families lose their shelters.

From Victims to Witnesses

Women throughout Masafer Yatta increasingly find themselves both victims of violence and witnesses to attacks against their families.

Rabeeha Jaber Al-Nawajaa recalled a nighttime attack that nearly cost her life.

She said settlers stormed her family's home around 11 p.m. while her children were outside.

"I ran after my children before realizing the attackers were settlers," she said.

She said settlers threw stones at the family, striking her with a large rock in her side.

"I didn't feel the pain immediately because of the shock," she said. "Later the pain became unbearable."

Neighbors called an ambulance that transported her to hospital, where doctors discovered severe internal injuries affecting her liver, spleen and kidney.

She remained hospitalized for eight days because of internal bleeding.

Although months have passed, Al-Nawajaa said she continues to experience chronic pain and has not recovered fully.

She urged Palestinian institutions and humanitarian organizations to provide stronger support for residents of Masafer Yatta, particularly women and children living under constant threat.

Living With Lasting Injuries

Another Susiya resident, Fatima Khalil Al-Nawajaa, described how settlers attacked her family's caravan shortly after 1 a.m. on Aug. 15, setting it on fire while the family was inside.

"The caravan was our home," she said. "It contained our clothes, our belongings and everything we needed."

During the attack she was struck in the hand by a stone, suffering two fractures that required surgery and the insertion of metal plates.

She said she still cannot use her hand normally.

Fatima appealed for a medical referral that would allow her to continue specialized treatment, saying she has been forced to cover transportation and medical expenses herself while traveling repeatedly between Susiya and Hebron.

She stressed that financial compensation alone cannot restore what her family has lost.

"What we lost wasn't only property," she said. "We lost our sense of safety."

Calls for Protection

The testimonies gathered by PNN illustrate how repeated attacks extend far beyond the immediate violence, affecting every aspect of daily life.

Women continue caring for their families while coping with injuries, rebuilding destroyed homes and confronting ongoing psychological trauma.

Despite these challenges, each woman interviewed insisted that leaving their land is not an option.

Instead, they appealed to Palestinian authorities, humanitarian organizations and international human rights groups to provide greater protection, improve access to specialized medical care and strengthen support programs that enable families to remain on their land.

For the women of Masafer Yatta, resilience has become part of everyday life—but they say survival should not depend on resilience alone.

This report was produced as part of PNN's Media Support in Times of Crisis project in cooperation with Palestine Journalism Hub,