A 55-year-old Palestinian woman was hospitalized after being struck on the head by a masked Jewish settler while she was picking olives in the village of Turmus Ayya in the occupied West Bank on Sunday morning. The incident, which was recorded by US journalist Jasper Nathaniel, reportedly rendered the woman unconscious after the first blow, with additional strikes following as she lay on the ground. The woman, identified as Umm Saleh Abu Alia, was subsequently seen bleeding as she was transported to a medical facility, where she was initially admitted to an intensive care unit but is now reported to be in stable condition.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that they intervened to disperse the confrontation and condemned violence by settlers. Nathaniel, however, claimed that Israeli soldiers were present before the attack and allegedly led him and others into an ambush before leaving just before the assault occurred. This assertion has been communicated to the IDF for clarification.
According to Israeli media, a significant portion of Turmus Ayya’s residents hold US citizenship or residency. The assault coincided with the olive harvest season, which began on October 9, during which farmers in the West Bank reportedly face increased risks, including violence and obstruction from both settlers and Israeli security forces. The UN’s humanitarian office, Ocha, indicated that recent settler attacks during this period have been significant, with documented incidents related to the harvest affecting numerous Palestinian villages.
In the broader context, numerous attacks in this region have been attributed to efforts to intimidate Palestinians, with statistical evidence suggesting a low rate of accountability for such violence. Between 2005 and 2023, a mere 3% of investigations into settler violence resulted in convictions, as reported by the Israeli civil rights group Yesh Din. The situation surrounding the olive harvest raises concerns about agricultural safety and the enforcement of rights in the area.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx20p0qx50no?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss