Palestinian/Israeli update 09/20/2022..Clashes erupt after PA arrests Hamas key member

Clashes erupt after PA arrests Hamas key member

One Palestinian killed in clashes between PA security forces and gunmen in Nablus

Israeli settlers invade pastureland and drive shepherd out in Khirbet Susiya, South Hebron Hills

On 17 August 2022, at around 5:00 P.M., Fawaz al-’Ayanat (40) from the village of a-Zuweidin in Masafer Yatta, the South Hebron Hills, arrived at land he leases for the summer near Khirbet Susiya, also in the South Hebron Hills. While he was grazing his flock, a settler arrived on an ATV. He chased the flock and scattered it towards the homes in the village of Susiya. About 10 minutes later, four settlers escorted by soldiers arrived and claimed al-’Ayanat was not permitted to enter the land he was leasing. Al-’Ayanat called the police, but the officers who came did nothing and accused him of assaulting the settler.

B’Tselem field researcher Nasser Nawaj’ah, who was at the scene and helped alert the police, took al-’Ayanat’s testimony:

I went with my flock to the land in Susiya that I lease from the al- Hureini family every year, from May to October. When I got there, I started pumping water from the well to let the flock drink. Suddenly, a settler arrived on an ATV. He drove fast towards in our direction and started chasing us, spooking the flock. He chased the sheep in the ATV until they started going back towards the houses in Susiya. Then he stopped and talked on the phone. He must have called soldiers over. Four more settlers arrived, and they were joined ten minutes later by the soldiers he’d called to complain that I’m not allowed in the area. There were some activists there who helped me call the police, but when the police came, the officers went to talk to the settlers first, even though I’d called them. The officer said I’d assaulted the settler. I tried to tell him the settler had attacked my flock, and then he told me to go file a complaint against the settler with the police.

King of Jordan stresses Palestinian right to self-determination at UNGA