AL-KHALIL, (PIC)
Settler attacks are escalating in Wad al-Watawat in the town of Surif, north of al-Khalil, where residents face a recurring pattern of arson and nightly intimidation, within a broader context of field attacks documented by human rights reports as part of a policy aimed at emptying the land of its owners.
The story begins with nightfall, when the area turns into a stage for organized attacks, as settlers set fire to agricultural property and homes, leaving behind material losses and deep psychological effects, while residents live in a constant state of anticipation that does not end with the break of dawn, but is renewed with every new night.
Burning of a home
Citizen Mustafa Ghoneimat recounts the details of one of these attacks, when fire broke out in his home and its surroundings around 3 in the morning, consuming part of his property, at a time when surveillance cameras documented the incident, reinforcing residents’ accounts about the repetition of the attacks and their organized nature.
However, what worsens the crisis, according to local testimonies, is the behavior of the occupation forces, which arrive at the site without pursuing the attackers, but instead carry out search operations inside the homes of the victims, which residents describe as a form of compounded intimidation, as the affected person finds himself under the pressure of both the attack and accountability at the same time.
A policy of attrition
Jamal Ghoneimat confirms that these violations do not represent isolated incidents, but have extended for more than eight years, within what he describes as a gradual attrition policy aimed at controlling the land, by creating a living environment that drives residents away, based on continuous fear and lack of protection, along with the pursuit of anyone who tries to defend his property.
This reality points to a broader pattern in the West Bank, where human rights reports speak of an increase in attacks carried out by settlers, sometimes under the protection or cover of occupation forces, reflecting an overlap of roles on the ground, and leading to a continuous escalation in the pace of violence against civilians.
The figures reinforce this trajectory, as Palestinian specialized bodies recorded about 1,965 attacks during the month of February alone, including physical assaults, property destruction, uprooting of trees, and burning of crops, indicating the widening scope and escalation of violations.
In Wad al-Watawat, the fires do not appear to be merely passing incidents, but rather a daily pressure tool pushing residents to the brink of forced displacement, while the continued absence of accountability entrenches a reality in which field violence intertwines with broader policies reshaping geography and demography in the West Bank.