DayofPal– Israeli settlers kidnapped two Palestinian children and tied them to an olive tree outside the town of Beit Furik, near Nablus in the northern occupied West Bank, On Saturday.
A group of Palestinian children were playing near their homes. Out of nowhere, settlers from a newly established outpost descended and abducted 13-year-old Maryam and her 3-year-old brother Ahmed.
According to residents, the children’s screams sent nearby families into a panic. Mohammed Hanani, the children’s uncle, recounted how his daughters ran home in tears, prompting him and other relatives to chase after the attackers.
“We eventually found the children unconscious and tied to a tree,” he said. “The settlers had fled back to the outpost on an ATV.” The children were rushed to a local health center.
The children sustained no visible injuries, but psychologically, the scars run deep. “My daughter, who witnessed the incident, still refuses to leave the house and cries all the time,” said Hanani.
Disturbingly, this is the first reported case of child abduction in Beit Furik, but not the first act of settlers’ violence. Since the establishment of the new settler outpost, coinciding with the war on Gaza, the town has seen a sharp rise in settlers’ attacks.
Hanani’s vehicle and work truck were torched, his crops burned, and his home repeatedly targeted with stones. Hanani believes it’s a campaign to drive Palestinians off their land.
“All of this material damage is being compensated, but kidnapping and assaulting children sets off alarm bells and puts our lives in direct danger,” he said.
Residents say the army was notably absent during the kidnapping, despite being quick to respond when settlers are at risk. This lack of intervention has led many to question the state’s role or complicity in the escalation of settler violence.
The traumatic memory of Mohammed Abu Khdeir’s 2014 kidnapping and murder by settlers still lingers. That case shocked the world, and now, with this latest attack on children, fears are being reignited.
Under Israel’s current extreme right-wing government, attacks against Palestinians have surged. Human rights groups and observers report the highest levels of land confiscation, assaults, livestock theft, and illegal outpost construction since the government took office in 2022.
Critics argue it’s the unprecedented level of support settlers receive militarily, financially, and politically. From providing weapons to endorsing new outposts, the government’s backing has emboldened settlers to carry out acts of violence with impunity.
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