The UN says some displaced people lack adequate shelter after the November 4 seizure, while an Israeli military closed zone prevents humanitarian workers from reaching them.
Israeli settlers seized 8 Palestinian homes in Ein a-Duyuk a-Tahta, on the outskirts of Jericho, forcing dozens of people to flee, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said on 5 November. Some of those displaced lack adequate shelter, he said.
Israel’s military has since declared the area a closed military zone, preventing humanitarian workers from reaching the affected families, Dujarric said. Al Jazeera said Dujarric reported that settlers had reportedly used live ammunition, assaulted Palestinian residents and thrown stones, prompting families to flee for safety.
The homes are in Area C of the West Bank, under Israeli control since the Oslo Accords of the 1990s. Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967, and its settlements there are illegal under international law.
An Israeli military source told JNS that Area C is under full Israeli civil and security control.
Peace Now, an Israeli settlement watchdog, said settlers shot a Palestinian man in the leg and assaulted and robbed 2 Israeli activists during the seizure.
Residents said they feared further settler violence and a heavier military presence if the settlers remained. Peace Now said the Israeli presence in Hebron had led to recurring violence, severe restrictions on Palestinian movement and the displacement of thousands of Palestinians.
Settler representative Hanan Greenwood told AFP that Nachala, a right-wing Israeli organization, had bought the homes with his group’s help. Nachala funds new settlements in the occupied West Bank and campaigns for Israel to annex the territory.
Nachala and the Binyamin Regional Council said the homes stood on state-owned land and that the purchase was backed by ownership documents. They said the purchase was kept secret until families entered. Jericho region governor Hussein Hamayel disputed the sale, saying the land belongs to the Palestinian Authority and cannot be sold. He alleged that the purported sale was a forgery.
The Israeli military told JNS that the entry took place without its prior coordination or authorization. It said the relevant authorities were examining the purchase and its security implications.
Andrey Khrzhanovskiy and Jasper Nathaniel were released on 29 October after the attack near Umm Al-Khair. Nathaniel said a judge barred them from the West Bank for two months.
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The West Bank tally is the highest in monitoring dating to 2006. During 20–26 October, attacks targeted 49 Palestinian communities, mostly as people harvested olives.
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Israeli troops withdrew from their Hebron operation area on 2 November, allowing residents to return; some described property damage and missing belongings as they began restoring their homes.
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