Jewish Settlers Seize Five Buildings in Al-Khalil Under Security Enforcement Pretext

Al Khalil, MINA – Dozens of Jewish settlers stormed the Jabal Jales neighborhood in southern al-Khalil under heavy military protection, taking control of five old buildings in what residents described as an unprecedented development in the area in decades, PIC reports.

Residents believe the takeover followed the suspicious transfer of property ownership, noting that settlers raised Israeli flags and displayed the Star of David on the rooftops. They alleged that certain individuals sold or transferred ownership of the properties through illegal or questionable means.

The incursion came after armed family disputes in the neighborhood last Wednesday, which residents say Israeli forces used as a pretext to enter the area under the banner of “security enforcement.” Community leader Rashid Tamimi said that what occurred “was not a security measure, but cover for a pre-planned settlement operation.”

Tamimi added that this was the first incursion of its kind since 1967, with large numbers of soldiers raiding dozens of homes simultaneously, breaking down doors, and assaulting residents without investigation. He said soldiers stormed his home, beat him and his family with rifle butts, restrained them, and threw them to the ground.

He noted that residents were ordered to surrender weapons, denying that any were present except among the feuding families, whom he said Israeli authorities already knew, raising doubts about the stated security justification.

At the same time, Israeli forces, accompanied by Civil Administration staff and Border Police, provided protection for another settler raid targeting additional homes for takeover. Tamimi described the events as “a single coordinated operation,” combining military force with settlement expansion.

He explained that four of the seized buildings had been vacant for months after being sold to individuals from the area, but claimed those buyers were under suspicion, often residing inside Israel and possessing significant financial resources inconsistent with their age. He added that some were believed to have connections with Israeli authorities.

Local sources indicated that property sales in Jabal Jales typically require oversight by Palestinian security services, raising questions about their role in monitoring and preventing such transfers.

Al-Khalil Governor Khaled Dudin stated that official investigations have begun, including summoning families linked to the alleged property transfers to determine the circumstances.

Jabal Jales holds strategic importance, located between the industrial zone of the settlement of Givat Gal and the neighborhoods of Kiryat Arba, making it a key target for settlement continuity. Around 1,000 residents live there across approximately 100 homes.

The UN Human Rights Office in Palestine reported a continued rise in settler violence across the occupied West Bank, noting a lack of legal or security accountability. It said such attacks occur in a climate of near-total impunity, worsening humanitarian and security conditions.

The office documented the killing of Palestinian Nasrallah Abu Siam near Mikhmas, outside Jerusalem, by settlers, and noted the absence of serious investigations or arrests.

It also reported the forced displacement of 42 Palestinian families since February 17 due to settler intimidation, particularly in the Jordan Valley and areas near Ramallah.

In another incident, a settler severely beat a Palestinian woman, Widad Makhamra, after storming Khirbet al-Markaz in Masafer Yatta, south of al-Khalil, while also searching homes and livestock shelters, causing widespread fear among residents.

Communities in Masafer Yatta continue to face systematic attacks, including home invasions and grazing livestock on privately owned land to destroy crops. Residents have called for urgent international protection.

On the ground, Israeli forces continued a large-scale military operation in the town of Ya’bad in the northern West Bank for a second consecutive day, conducting house searches, damaging property, and setting up checkpoints that disrupt daily life during Ramadan.

Ya’bad Mayor Amjad Attatra said the campaign is part of a broader policy aimed at expanding settler control and restricting access to agricultural land under security pretexts. He added that settlers had recently established a new outpost near the town to facilitate further attacks.

Arrests and raids have significantly increased, with reports of multiple detentions and injuries during confrontations.

Human rights sources reported that more than 100 Palestinians have been arrested across the West Bank since the start of Ramadan. According to official Palestinian data, over 9,300 Palestinians are currently held in Israeli prisons, including 66 women and 350 children, many under harsh conditions and facing medical neglect.

Since the start of the war on Gaza, at least 1,117 Palestinians have been killed and around 11,500 injured in the West Bank, while total arrests have reached approximately 22,000 cases.

Observers warn that the combination of settler violence and military operations is paving the way for potential formal annexation of the West Bank.

The UN Human Rights Office concluded by calling for an end to the Israeli occupation, a halt to all illegal settlement activity, the removal of settlers from occupied land, and the provision of international protection for Palestinians facing ongoing displacement and violence.[]

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)