Extreme settler violence was unleased in February’s pogrom in Huwara when dozens of houses and cars were torched. Large-scale raids have happened in Palestinian villages, towns and cities resulting in scores of Palestinian injuries. Rural agricultural communities within Area C are under constant harassment from the settlers as well as from the Israeli army, making it difficult if not impossible for farming activities to continue. The most recent example happened in Ein Samia where on Monday, 22nd May, the last of the 200 residents left because living there had become unbearable due to settler and state violence that has included the demolition of their homes and infrastructure. This is forced displacement and a violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention.
Governments are selective in which countries are called to account for the implementation of international law and has failed the Palestians. It is understandable that Palestinian armed activity has also increased in their attempt to resist Israel’s settler colonial agenda to clear more of historic Palestine of the indigenous population as it makes space to double the number of settlers within the next few years. Therefore, more bloodshed is predicted.
During the Badil/Kairos Palestine webinar on 24th May, Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, said that several times the Palestinians had called for UN Protective Presence to be sent to their aid however the request was always vetoed. Albanese stressed that civil society should get their respective government to push for a UN Protective Force to be dispatched and that it could either civil or military.
This is another urgent issue to raise with your political representative.