Armed Israeli settlers steal hundreds of sheep from Bedouins in occupied West Bank
Palestinians say armed Israeli settlers have stolen hundreds of sheep from a Bedouin community in the occupied West Bank, in one of the largest incidents of settlers’ harassment under the watch of the regime’s forces.
Local residents said Israeli settlers took about 1,500 sheep and goats from a village near Ein al-Auja community, located north of the ancient city of Ariha, Jordan Valley, after accusing the Bedouins of theft.
The theft, which took place at around 9.00 p.m. (1900 GMT) on Friday, began when Israeli settlers drove some of their own sheep into the Bedouin community and called the police.
They then pushed their way into people’s houses and drove sheep and goats from the pens as police and soldiers stood by, the Bedouins said.
“This was the biggest one there has been,” said a resident of the community, who added that he had 70 sheep stolen in the settlers’ attack.
“The aim of these attacks is to empty the area of its inhabitants,” said another resident. “This is the only source of livelihood.”
Activists from the Israeli rights group Looking the Occupation in the Eye filmed the incident.
Gili Avidor, an Israeli volunteer from the group, said masked settlers in about a dozen vehicles followed police cars into the encampment.
“Everything happened very fast,” she said, adding that the settlers entered houses and later herded hundreds of sheep out of the pens and “stole them all away.”
The Israeli human rights group B'Tselem has reported many similar instances, including a separate case of sheep stealing in Ein al-Auja in February 2024.
Incidents of sabotage and settler violence by extremist Israelis against Palestinians and their property have become a daily occurrence throughout the occupied territories, particularly in the West Bank.
The Jordan Valley, a sparsely populated area near the Jordan River, has experienced increased settler activity in recent years, leading to concerns about displacement among Bedouin herders. Residents believe these actions aim to force them from the land to facilitate Israeli control.
Palestinians who live in the Jordan Valley, mainly nomadic Bedouins, rely heavily on agriculture and livestock as a main source of living.
More than 700,000 Israelis live in over 230 settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East al-Quds.
The international community views the settlements as illegal under international law and the Geneva Conventions due to their construction on occupied territories.
The UN Security Council has condemned Israel’s settlement activities in several resolutions.
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