In the West Bank village of Jalud, Palestinian Mohammad Salameh watched helplessly as Israeli settlers took over the two-story house he was building for his family, where his recently engaged son was to start married life. Video footage verified by Reuters showed at least six settlers on the roof of the unfinished home, which sits below a nearby hill. Salameh said appeals to the Israeli military and police brought no help, and he now fears his home is lost forever.
Seizure Details and Official Response
Salameh, speaking from his home in al-Auja village, expressed despair: “Only God knows, if there is law and order then they will leave. If they succeeded with taking one, then the rest will follow.” Reuters was unable to reach the settlers for comment, but one was seen walking on the roof on Thursday. The Israeli military said it received a report and that “soldiers arrived to the area and quickly acted to disperse the gathering,” but did not comment on the settlers’ continued presence. It added that law enforcement regarding settler actions is the responsibility of Israel’s police, which did not respond to a request for comment.
Broader Context of Settler Activity
The seizure of Palestinian land by settlers is a longstanding feature of life in the West Bank, where about 500,000 Israelis live among roughly 3 million Palestinians. Palestinians have long reported damage to farmland, vandalism, and attacks linked to settlement expansion. A UN inquiry reported last month that Israeli settler attacks on Palestinian villages and agricultural land surged by 130 percent since 2023. Residents of Jalud say this incident marks a troubling escalation because the settlers seized a house under construction.
Local Impact and International Law
Raed Al-Hajj Mohammad, head of the Jalud village council, said, “They have now moved down to within no more than 100 meters from the last house in Jalud, which is also a house under construction belonging to a resident.” He noted that Jalud has faced five major settler attacks, including the burning of homes, damage to vehicles, and uprooting of trees. Most countries and the United Nations regard Israeli settlements in the West Bank as illegal under international law, citing the Fourth Geneva Convention. Israel rejects that position, saying the West Bank is disputed territory. Palestinians consider the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem as part of a Palestinian state.
Political and Personal Dimensions
Settlement building and settler violence have long been obstacles to peace efforts. Even the United States has condemned settler actions, but settlement expansion has accelerated under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, which relies on pro-settlement parties. For Salameh, the dispute is personal. Construction on his house stalled after the Gaza war erupted in 2023, when his son could not find work and finances strained. “The neighbor close by has built a two-story house, which they will probably take too, if we lose this house (his) they will lose theirs,” he said.
