️ Duma, Occupied West Bank – Since Israel and the United States regimes launched their war on Iran, retaliatory missiles have been flying over the West Bank, but for Palestinians in rural areas, the primary threat comes not from the skies but from Israeli settlers on the ground.

️ According to 24-year-old Thabet Mosallam, despite missile debris crashing near his family's century-old home, the real danger stems from settlers and the army. Israeli settlements, built on lands occupied in the 1967 war in violation of international law, are equipped with sirens and bomb shelters, while adjacent Palestinian communities lack such protections.

️ Since the war against Iran began, Israeli authorities have distributed leaflets banning movement between West Bank governorates and installed new gates to restrict village access. Settler chat groups have escalated incitement, with posts encouraging expulsion of Palestinians. In Qaryut, near Duma, settlers shot dead two Palestinian brothers.

️ Numerous Bedouin communities, including those violently displaced from Khirbet Ein ar-Rashash after the October 2023 attacks, face severe shortages of food and medical aid. A 35-year-old representative of one hamlet stated that since the war started, no one can access doctors, hospitals, or bread.

️ A neighbor named Muhammad, who declined to give his full name due to security concerns, explained that the army closes gates while settlers threaten people with weapons, beatings, and intimidation. Recently, settlers entered his community, assaulted a 70-year-old man, and fired live rounds into the air.

️ Witnesses report that violence persisted for hours, even after soldiers arrived and stood by idly. Settlers beat residents, used pepper spray, smashed cars, and emptied water tanks. Israeli solidarity activists Yael Rosmarin and Yotam described the incident as an "orgy of violence," with video evidence corroborating the army's inaction.

Source: www.aljazeera.com