in the West Bank, the hellish daily life of Palestinians facing the punitive operations of settlers

Huwara, with its 7,500 inhabitants, was a commercial hub in the middle of the occupied West Bank. But for a month, no cars have passed, except those of Israeli soldiers and settlers installed above the city. The Israeli army has cut off northern and southern access to Huwara, a consequence of punitive operations carried out in recent months by the settlers. For Palestinian residents, daily life has become hellish: “If you cross the road, even just to buy your bread, you risk your life. And in the end, the Israeli government will say that it is self-defense”says Fouad.

“It has already happened several times that young people have been attacked by settlers and shot at”, continues the young man, who has just finished his business studies at the University. One of his friends was killed on October 6, the day before the Hamas operation. “He defended his home, attacked by hateful settlers. He dreamed of becoming a businessman or graphic designer”, he remembers. His name was Labib, he was 19 years old.

The attack of October 7, now a month ago, has obviously not helped a situation that had already been difficult for many months. Last February, two young Israeli settlers were killed by Palestinian fire. In the process, dozens of settlers ransacked stores, cars and businesses as a punitive operation. Results: one dead and a hundred injured on the Palestinian side. “These are not fights. The settlers attack the people and the people defend themselves”judge Brahim, manager in a city school.

“If a settler comes into my house to kill me, what am I supposed to do: not react? When they come down, the settlers are accompanied by the army. They arrive with their weapons. We cannot fight with stones.”

Brahim, manager in a school in Huwara

at franceinfo

“We haven’t slept for a year because of the settlers”

All Palestinians say it here: October 7 and the murderous assault by Hamas, as unacceptable as it is, must be put into perspective, in light of the colonization policy encouraged by Benjamin Netanyahu which has generated anger. In the West Bank, a territory where 2.8 million Palestinians live, more than 475,000 Israelis reside in illegal settlements under international law. Fardouz, a Palestinian in her fifties, lives very close to the Jewish colony of Ytzhar located on the heights of the city. “We live on top of the hill. I swear to God it hasn’t been since the war started. It’s been a year since we slept at night because of the settlersshe explains. As you can see, they burned houses. In the evening, we leave the lights on, we remain on alert and in case the settlers come down, we ask the young people to come and protect us.”

Unable to speak to anyone in the Ytzhar colony. Its spokesperson was recalled by the Israeli army and is currently in southern Israel. He did not answer our calls, but sent this message on WhatsApp: “What I can say is that Huwara is a Nazi Arab village that wants to massacre Jews like the abominable killers of Gaza”. And he adds: “Never again”.