A Palestinian family’s dream home was taken over by Israeli settlers in the West Bank, according to a report by Reuters. Mohammad Salameh, the homeowner, had been building the house for his family, including his recently engaged son, but before construction was complete, a group of Israeli settlers seized the property.
Settler Violence on the Rise
The seizure of Palestinian land by settlers is a longstanding issue in the West Bank, where about 500,000 Israelis live among roughly 3 million Palestinians. Palestinians have reported damage to farmland, vandalism, and attacks linked to settlement expansion. A U.N. inquiry reported that Israeli settler attacks on Palestinian villages and agricultural land had surged since 2023, rising by 130%.
Salameh said appeals to the Israeli military and police brought no help, and he now fears his home is lost forever. Other houses in the area could suffer the same fate, he said. The Israeli military and police have not responded to requests for comment.
The incident marks another troubling escalation in the West Bank, where settler violence has been on the rise. Residents of Jalud, Salameh’s village, say this week’s incident is particularly concerning because the settlers seized a house that was still under construction.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
