Settlers attack, wound an aged man near Nablus

Resident Sameeh Mustafa Hamdan, 70, from the village of Salem near Nablus, was badly bruised in his face, and several parts of his body, and sustained fractions in his left hand, after a group of settlers attacked him while heading to his field near the village.

Hamdan said that four settlers, apparently unarmed, attacked him on Thursday morning, east of his village which is separated from its farmlands by a road leading to Alone Moreh settlement.

“The settlers hurled stones at me, and clubbed me, I passed out and only woke up when a resident came for my rescue the man came to me and called my son, then they transferred me to a hospital in Nablus”, Hamdan added.

Last year, Hamdan was also attacked in the same area by a group of settlers while he was heading to his field, he sustained mild injuries.

Hamdan said that the settlers who attacked him were young, apparently in their twenties.

Salem is 7km east of the northern West Bank city of Nablus.

Thursday, a group of settlers of Alone Moreh settlement burnt dozens of Dunams planted with olive trees, causing considerable loses.

Resident Zeid Mahmoud Eshtiyyah said that his land was completely burnt after the settlers set it on fire.

“They burnt 107 olive trees; the trees I planted more than 18 years ago, are gone now, my life time effort is gone, I have nothing left”, Eshtiyyah added.

The National Office for Land Defense reported that dozens of residents lost their trees after the settlers attacked and burnt their fields; settlers’ attacks significantly increased over the last period.

The settlers use several methods in their attacks, including crushing their cars into the residents, firing at the residents and their homes, burning trees, especially olives, and attempt to control the lands.

 

Nayef Abu Aisha, a researcher at the office, said that the Israeli decision to allow the residents in their fields during certain periods and limited time, does not enable them to harvest their lands, especially during the Olive season, which causes considerable losses since most villagers depends on Olive season as their main source of livelihood.