On Wednesday evening, Jihad Nawaj’a, head of the village council of Susiya in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron in the occupied West Bank’s southern part, was violently assaulted by illegal paramilitary Israeli colonizers.
The attack left him with fractures in his ribs and severe chest injuries, requiring urgent medical treatment.
Nawaj’a told Palestinian media that a group of colonizers, some disguised in Israeli military uniforms, stopped him at the entrance to Susiya while he was returning home.
They beat him repeatedly, causing broken ribs and bruises across his chest. He was later transferred to a medical center in al‑Karmel, east of Yatta, for treatment.
Local witnesses confirmed that the attackers were armed and dressed in military gear, making it difficult to distinguish them from Israeli soldiers.
Some reports indicated that soldiers themselves participated in the assault, highlighting the blurred lines between state forces and colonizer militias in the occupied West Bank.
The assault on Nawaj’a is part of a broader escalation in Masafer Yatta, where residents face repeated attacks, home demolitions, and land confiscations.
Rights groups have long warned that these actions are designed to pressure Palestinians into leaving the area, paving the way for settlement expansion and forced displacement.
As a community leader, Nawaj’a has been a prominent voice against Israel’s illegal colonialist expansion and displacement in Susiya. Targeting him is seen as an attempt to weaken local leadership and intimidate residents resisting Israel’s policies.
This latest assault underscores the daily violence endured by Palestinians in the South Hebron Hills, where colonizer militias, often operating with military protection, continue to escalate attacks against vulnerable communities.
