Illegal Israeli Settlers Beat A 55-Year-Old Palestinian Woman Harvesting Olives, Leaving Her Hospitalized
American journalist Jasper Nathaniel captured the settlers' attack on Afaf Abu Alia, known as Umm Saleh, on Oct. 19, near the Turmus Sayya village.
Illegal Israeli settlers beat a 55-year-old Palestinian woman while she was harvesting olives in the occupied West Bank, leaving her hospitalized.
American journalist Jasper Nathaniel captured the settlers' attack on Afaf Abu Alia, known as Umm Saleh, on Sunday, Oct. 19, near the Turmus Sayya village.
The video showed a masked Israeli settler beating Abu Alia with a wooden stick until she fell unconscious as he continued beating her while she lay on the ground.
Abu Alia was then carried into a vehicle to be taken to a hospital.
She was initially admitted to an intensive care unit but is now in a stable condition, according to BBC.
“I was looking around and I saw around 20 settlers, and they started beating me on my head. I fell to the ground and I couldn't feel anything,” Abu Alia said later.
Abu Alia’s attack was part of a larger attack by Israeli settlers on Palestinians harvesting olives in the area, with t least 15 masked settlers seen throwing stones and attacking Palestinians, as well as activists and journalists who had arrived to support them.
Settlers then torched a car before leaving the scene.
Israeli forces said it sent its troops to disperse the confrontation, adding that it "strongly condemns any form of violence" by settlers.
Witnesses reported that Israeli soldiers were present but reportedly left before the assault began.
Palestinian lawyer Yasser Al-Qam, who witnessed the attack with Nathaniel, said he believed the attack was an “ambush” coordinated with Israeli forces.
As the olive harvest season began, Palestinians are facing increased attacks by Israeli settlers, intended to intimidate Palestinians and eventually drive them from their land so settlers can illegally seize it.
The UN said it documented 71 attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians and their property in just one week between Oct. 7 to Oct. 13 in the occupied West Bank.
The vast majority of these attacks go unpunished and many are not even investigated, according to the Israeli civil rights group Yesh Din.
Sofia Hou
Sofia Hou
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