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Swiss participants in the flotilla that tried to break through the Israeli maritime blockade on Gaza have faced "cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatment" in Israeli detention, their organisation said Tuesday.The Waves of Freedom Switzerland organisation said Israel had conducted "illegal and shameful attacks on the humanitarian and peaceful flotillas", followed by "equally illegal arrests and detentions"."It subjected our citizens to cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatment, as defined in the International Convention against Torture, both physically and psychologically," said the group, which goes by the acronym WOFA.Nineteen Swiss nationals took part in the Global Sumud Flotilla, which aimed to break an Israeli blockade to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip, where the United Nations says famine has taken hold after two years of devastating conflict.Israel started intercepting the flotilla vessels in international waters on October 1. Israeli police said more than 470 people aboard the boats were arrested.While nine Swiss nationals have been released, 10 are still detained, WOFA said.They were expected to be released on Tuesday, it said, adding: "We remain cautious in the face of a state that has long since abandoned any respect for the rule of law."WOFA said those released had described "sleep deprivation, lack of access to water and food, lack of medical care, and verbal and psychological abuse".Some, it said, "were kept handcuffed for long hours without any justification", while others "were slapped, beaten, and locked in a cage".In addition, "all medical treatments have been denied, including essential medicines like insulin for diabetes," it charged.The accusations echoed those of flotilla participants from other countries."The first 48 hours there was no food, no water at all," German flotilla member Yasemin Acar said upon her arrival in Greece on Monday."We were beaten. We were threatened... We were kept under the sun, our hands were cuffed to the back," she said.WOFA said it was "documenting the serious abuses suffered by our compatriots, as well as those they have witnessed"."These facts will be forwarded to the competent judicial authorities with a view to initiating legal proceedings."

The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) has officially submitted its response to U.S. President Donald Trump's proposed plan to end the war in the Gaza Strip. The announcement was made through mediators and follows extensive internal consultations.According to a statement highlighted by Qatar News Agency, Hamas said it aimed to reach a "responsible position" on the U.S. initiative, expressing its desire to halt Israeli aggression on Gaza.Hamas expressed appreciation for Arab, Islamic, and international mediation efforts, including those led by President Trump. It reaffirmed key conditions for ending the conflict, including:A call for a complete ceasefire, the exchange of prisoners, and immediate humanitarian aid access.Rejection of the ongoing occupation of the Gaza Strip and displacement of its residents.Agreement to transfer Gaza’s administration to a Palestinian body of independent technocrats, in line with national consensus and supported by Arab and Islamic partners.Acceptance of prisoner releases—both alive and deceased—as outlined in Trump’s proposal and dependent on agreed-upon field conditions.Emphasis on future governance of Gaza being tied to national Palestinian positions and international legal frameworks.Hamas stated that all remaining issues in President Trump’s proposal must align with international law and resolutions, and reflect the unified stance of the Palestinian people.

Three Palestinians were martyred, and 13 others were injured on Thursday when the Israeli occupation forces bombed tents for displaced people in the city of Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip. The Palestinian news agency (WAFA), citing medical sources, said that three Palestinians were martyred, and 13 others were injured when an Israeli drone bombed tents for displaced people west of Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip. In Khan Yunis, southern Gaza Strip, eight Palestinians were injured when an Israeli drone bombed a tent for displaced people inside Al-Aqsa University campus in Al-Mawasi area, west of the city. This morning, the Israeli occupation forces detonated four car bombs in Al-Sabra and Tal al-Hawa neighborhoods, south of Gaza City. Meanwhile, Israeli artillery shelled the eastern areas of the city and targeted the eastern part of the Maghazi refugee camp, central Gaza Strip. Israeli aircraft also raided the eastern areas of Khan Yunis, southern Gaza Strip, and loud explosions were heard amid the ongoing aggression across the Gaza Strip. Medical sources announced last night that 85 Palestinians were martyred in the ongoing Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours. Since Oct. 7, 2023, the Israeli occupation has committed genocidal crimes in the Gaza Strip, killing 66,148 Palestinians, and injuring 168,716, most of them children and women. The famine has also claimed the lives of 455 citizens, including 151 children.

Flotilla is latest attempt to break Israel's blockade of GazaOrganisers say unidentified vessels approached, military came on boardBoats had expected to reach Gaza on ThursdayIsraeli military personnel intercepted an international flotilla trying to deliver medicine and food to Gaza and boarded its boats as it approached the war-ravaged enclave.Some 20 unidentified vessels were seen approaching the flotilla earlier on Wednesday night, multiple people on board said, as passengers put on life vests and braced for a takeover."Our vessels are being illegally intercepted. Cameras are offline and vessels have been boarded by military personnel. We are actively working to confirm the safety and status of all participants on board," organisers of the flotilla said in a post on X.The Global Sumud Flotilla, which consists of more than 40 civilian boats carrying about 500 parliamentarians, lawyers and activists including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, is trying to break Israel's blockade of Gaza, despite repeated warnings from Israel to turn back. It is within 90 nautical miles of the war-ravaged Strip, inside a zone that Israel is policing to stop any boats approaching.A live video feed from one of the boats in the flotilla showed passengers in life vests sitting on deck.It is not clear if all the boats had been intercepted or stopped. Some passengers said their vessels continued to advance.Organisers remained defiant. "We will not be intimidated by threats, harassment, or efforts to protect Israel's illegal siege on Gaza," they said in an earlier statement.The Israeli military did not respond to a request for comment about intercepting the vessels.The Israeli foreign ministry earlier said its navy had reached out to the flotilla to warn it was approaching an active combat zone and violating a lawful blockade, and asked them to change course.The ministry said that it reiterated the offer to transfer any aid peacefully through safe channels to Gaza.It is the latest sea-borne attempt to break Israel's blockade of Gaza, much of which has been turned into a wasteland by almost two years of war. The flotilla had been hoping to arrive in Gaza on Thursday morning if it was not intercepted.This was the second time the flotilla was approached on Wednesday. Before dawn, the mission's organisers said two Israeli "warships" had approached fast and encircled two of the flotilla's boats. All navigation and communication devices went down in what one organiser on board described as a "cyber attack". A video post on the flotilla's Instagram page showed the silhouette of what appeared to be a military vessel with a gun turret near the civilian boats.Reuters confirmed that the video was filmed from the flotilla, but could not confirm the identity of the other vessel in the video or when the video was taken. Last week the flotilla was attacked by drones, which dropped stun grenades and itching powder on the vessels, causing damage but no injuries. Israel did not comment on that attack, but has said it will use any means to prevent the boats from reaching Gaza, arguing that its naval blockade is legal as it battles Hamas in the coastal enclave. Italy and Spain deployed naval ships to help with any rescue or humanitarian needs but stopped following the flotilla once it got within 150 nautical miles of Gaza for safety reasons. Turkish drones have also followed the boats.Italy and Greece on Wednesday jointly called on Israel not to hurt the activists aboard and called on the flotilla to hand over its aid to the Catholic Church for indirect delivery to Gaza - a plea the flotilla has previously rejected.At the press conference held by organisers on Wednesday, Francesca Albanese, the top UN expert on Palestinian rights, said any interception of the flotilla "would be yet another violation of international law, the law of the sea" since Israel had no legal jurisdiction on waters off Gaza.Israel has imposed a naval blockade on Gaza since Hamas took control of the coastal enclave in 2007 and there have been several previous attempts by activists to deliver aid by sea.In 2010, nine activists were killed after Israeli soldiers boarded a flotilla of six ships manned by 700 pro-Palestinian activists from 50 countries. In June this year, Israeli naval forces detained Thunberg and 11 crew members from a small ship organised by a pro-Palestinian group called the Freedom Flotilla Coalition as they approached Gaza.

The Civil Defence in the Gaza Strip has raised alarm over the ongoing Israeli blockade preventing the entry of fuel supplies necessary for operating rescue and firefighting vehicles, warning of mounting humanitarian consequences.In a statement Sunday, Director of Humanitarian Support and International Relations at the Civil Defence, Mohammed al-Mughair, said that the continued denial of fuel supplies will severely impact the agency’s capacity to respond to emergencies and could result in further loss of lives across the besieged enclave.Al-Mughair warned of a sharp decline in Civil Defence services if the fuel shortage persists, and urged all concerned parties and international actors to intervene immediately and press Israel to allow the entry of fuel destined for humanitarian institutions operating in Gaza.The Civil Defence has been appealing for months to secure fuel for its operations. On August 20, it reported receiving only 10% of its monthly fuel needs since the beginning of that month.The crisis has been further exacerbated by Israel's closure of border crossings on March 2, effectively halting the flow of humanitarian aid, relief supplies, and fuel into the territory. Only limited fuel quantities have been allowed via international organisations, falling far short of Gaza’s minimum humanitarian requirements.This continued restriction, the Civil Defence warns, is not only hindering lifesaving operations but also pushing Gaza’s fragile emergency response infrastructure to the brink of collapse.

A Palestinian youth was shot by Israeli occupation forces on Sunday in the town of Al Ram in northern occupied Jerusalem, the West Bank. The Palestinian news agency WAFA, citing the Palestine Red Crescent Society, reported that its medics treated the youth for a gunshot wound to the thigh near the separation wall in Al Ram. Israeli occupation forces are firing live ammunition deliberately and directly at Palestinians who are near the separation wall. Daily raids and incursions into villages and towns across the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem are a regular occurrence, with Israeli forces clashing with residents, making arrests, and using live ammunition, rubber-coated bullets, and tear gas against Palestinian youth. This has escalated amid the ongoing Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip, which began on Oct. 7, 2023.

The Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) held an emergency session in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to examine the grave implications of the Israeli aggression against the State of Qatar.The session discussed the serious humanitarian and human rights consequences of the unlawful Israeli attack on Qatar on September 9, describing it as a blatant violation of the UN Charter, international law, and international humanitarian law, and a threat to regional peace, safety, and stability.In a statement delivered on behalf of the Secretary-General of the OIC Hissein Brahim Taha, by Ambassador Samir Bakr Diab, Assistant Secretary-General for Palestine and Al Quds Affairs, the organisation strongly condemned the Israeli aggression against Qatar, calling it a flagrant breach of international law, including the UN Charter and the fundamental principles governing peaceful relations between states.**media[361808]**He added that targeting a member state of the OIC that actively contributes to mediation and peace efforts sets a dangerous precedent and poses a serious threat to international peace and security. Israel bears full responsibility for this unlawful and unjustified attack and must be held accountable.The OIC also denounced ongoing Israeli violations and crimes in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories, including collective punishment, starvation, forced displacement, and attacks on civilian infrastructure.The aggression against Qatar, he noted, marks a dangerous escalation in the regional context, not only an assault on Qatar's sovereignty but also on the collective international efforts to end the war in Gaza and secure the release of hostages and detainees.**media[361810]**He expressed the OIC's deep solidarity with Qatar and pledged unwavering support for any measures the country may take to safeguard its security, sovereignty, stability, and the safety of its citizens and residents.HE the Chairperson of the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) and member of the IPHRC Maryam bint Abdullah Al Attiyah stated that the Israeli aggression against Qatar has left deep wounds and humanitarian tragedies, most notably the martyrdom of six individuals, numerous injuries, and the terrorising of civilians.As a member of the IPHRC, HE Al Attiyah strongly condemned this attack, which targeted a civilian area and posed a serious threat to residents and diplomatic missions, adding that it resulted in severe violations, including worsening health conditions for people with chronic illnesses and the temporary deprivation of education for at least 1,000 students due to damage to schools and kindergartens, in addition to acute psychological trauma suffered by children and their families.HE Al Attiyah emphasised that the meeting represents a vital step toward justice for victims and their families, and toward bringing perpetrators of the most serious violations to international accountability.She stressed that the recurrence and expansion of grave violations reflect a deeply troubled international landscape, driven by complicity with aggressors and the failure of protection mechanisms to fulfill their roles. This, she said, underscores the urgent need for comprehensive reform of the global system to fulfill the objectives of the UN Charter, translate justice and equality into lived realities, end impunity, and restore hope to millions yearning for a world governed by the values of truth, justice, and peace.She reaffirmed the Commission's role in confronting the grave violations committed by Israeli occupation authorities and expressed confidence that the emergency session would yield conclusions and recommendations capable of shaping a unified and unequivocal international stance against the crimes of aggression, condemning all resulting violations, and ensuring accountability and non-repetition.HE Al Attiyah also highlighted the importance of supporting national human rights institutions and civil society organisations in documenting violations and encouraging their coordination and participation in all actions undertaken by the Commission.For his part, the Chairperson of the OIC's IPHRC Dr. Haci Ali Acikgul condemned in the strongest terms the Israeli aggression against the State of Qatar, saying it is an unjustified and illegitimate aggression against a sovereign state, and constitutes a flagrant violation of the Charter of the United Nations, the fundamental principles of international law, and international humanitarian law.He emphasised that the attack on the State of Qatar was not an isolated incident but rather part of a systematic pattern pursued by the Israeli occupation to target civilians, especially women and children in the Gaza Strip, through a policy of collective punishment, forced displacement, the use of starvation as a weapon, and deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure.He added that the Committee reaffirms its full solidarity with the State of Qatar, both government and people, adding that the attack on a state that acts as a mediator to end the conflict is, in essence, an attack on the principle of negotiation itself. The Committee also supports the unanimous condemnation issued by the Arab-Islamic Summit held in Doha on September 15, and supports the roadmap laid out by the Summit for coordinated diplomatic, political, and legal action, he said.He pointed to the importance of demanding that the United Nations Security Council, the Human Rights Council, and other relevant bodies take urgent and decisive action to condemn the Israeli aggression, prevent any future violations, and enforce binding obligations under international law. He called for the opening of independent and impartial investigations into the attack, holding Israel accountable at the international level, and supporting the referral of violations committed by Israel against the State of Qatar and in the occupied Palestinian territories to international judicial mechanisms, including the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice.Executive Director of the OIC's IPHRC Dr. Hadi bin Ali Alyami said that this emergency session reflects their deep awareness of the gravity of the situation and their shared commitment to their responsibilities as the OIC's IPHRC, which comes in response to the serious human rights repercussions resulting from the unlawful Israeli aggression against the State of Qatar.Alyami added that this aggression was not a passing incident but rather represents a flagrant violation of international human rights law and international humanitarian law, and a blatant breach of the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, which constitute the fundamental pillar of international peace and security. The world was shocked by the targeting of a country known for its active role in humanitarian and diplomatic mediation, its tireless efforts to achieve a ceasefire and to facilitate the release of detainees in Gaza.He pointed out that the IPHRC took the initiative from the outset to condemn the attack on the State of Qatar, calling on everyone to raise their voices in international forums to end impunity, protect civilians, and preserve human dignity in accordance with the principles of international peace and security.For her part, the President of the Human Rights Commission in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Hala bint Mazyad Al Tuwaijri said this session comes amid a grave incident, namely the attack launched by the Israeli occupation authorities against the State of Qatar, which carries serious repercussions for human rights and international humanitarian law, and poses a direct threat to regional and international peace and security.Al Tuwaijri pointed out that the attack constitutes a violation of the Charter of the United Nations and international human rights law, violating the right to life and the right to security. It resulted in the killing and wounding of many people, as well as terrorising innocent civilians, especially women and children in the targeted civilian area.She added that they are fully aware that the Israeli attack on the State of Qatar at this time, while sponsoring mediation efforts to stop the war in Gaza and end the humanitarian crisis there, poses an obstacle to efforts to establish peace in the region through diplomatic means.She stressed that such actions cannot be justified under any pretext, but rather reflect a disregard for international standards and a determination to violate the rules agreed upon by the international community to protect humanity.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reiterated Friday his country's condemnation of the treacherous Israeli attack that targeted Qatar on Sept 9.In his address to the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, Sharif affirmed Pakistan's condemnation in the strongest terms of the Israeli violation of Qatar's sovereignty, in the attack that targeted residential buildings in Doha, and its violation of the sovereignty of other countries in the region.Separately, the Pakistani prime minister said that the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and the genocide against innocent Palestinian civilians represent a stain on the global conscience and a collective moral failure, reiterating the demand to hold Israel accountable for its war crimes and crimes against humanity.He also welcomed the official recognition of the State of Palestine by a number of countries, calling on other countries to do the same. He recalled Pakistan's supportive position for the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with Jerusalem as its capital.Sharif also addressed the Ukraine-Russia crisis in his speech, affirming his country's support for all efforts aimed at a peaceful resolution of the conflict between the two countries in accordance with the UN Charter.He also spoke, in separate contexts, about climate change, world peace, and Islamophobia.

The United Nations on Friday released a long-awaited update of its database of companies with activities in Israeli settlements in Palestinian territories, listing 158 firms from 11 countries. UN rights chief Volker Turk has condemned as a war crime Israel's policy of settlements on Palestinian territory in the occupied West Bank. While several companies including Alstom and Opodo had been removed from the non-exhaustive database, major firms such as Airbnb, Booking.com, Motorola Solutions and TripAdvisor remained on the list. Contacted by AFP for their reaction, the companies have not so far responded. While most of the companies were based in Israel, others were based in Canada, China, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Britain and the United States. The report, from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), urged companies to "take appropriate action to address the adverse human rights impacts" of their activities. Turk said in a statement: "This report underscores the due diligence responsibility of businesses working in contexts of conflict to ensure their activities do not contribute to human rights abuses." Israel denounced the report as "a document with no legal ground and far beyond the scope of the OHCHR". The country's UN office in Geneva added: "The OHCHR continues to misuse UN resources to tarnish Israel, proving that it is not able to execute its mandate in any adequate way. "We call on friends not to yield to this ugly attempt to blacklist Israeli firms." The list was first produced in 2020 after a UN Human Rights Council resolution called for a database of firms that profited from business in illegally occupied Palestinian territory. The UN rights office was asked to list companies found to be taking part in any of 10 activities, including construction, surveillance, demolitions and destruction of agricultural land in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Listing companies in the database was "not, and does not purport to be, a judicial or quasi-judicial process", it stressed. Despite a requirement for the database to be updated annually, it has been revised just once before, in 2023, when some companies named in the original list were removed. Friday's release marks the first update that includes fresh names. "A total of 68 new companies were added to the list published in 2023, while seven of those... were removed as they were no longer involved in any of the activities concerned," the rights office said. The list is not exhaustive, the rights office said, acknowledging that it had only had time to review 215 of the 596 companies about which it received submissions. For this latest update it said it had prioritised companies with a direct physical link in the settlements, in the fields of construction, real estate, mining and quarries. The remainder will be assessed in future updates, it said. The exercise has been contentious from the start. In 2020, Israel and the United States condemned the creation of the database. Today, nearly two years into the war raging in Gaza, where Israel faces growing accusations of committing genocide, the issue has become even more contentious.

Israeli colonists stormed on Thursday the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque in the occupied Jerusalem, under the protection of the Israeli occupation police. The Palestinian News Agency (WAFA) reported that dozens of colonists entered Al-Aqsa courtyards in groups, carried out provocative tours and performed Talmudic rituals. Since the start of the full-scale Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank in October 2023, more than 68,000 colonists have stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque under the protection of occupation forces, amid tightened entry measures to the mosque and the entrances to the Old City.

E1 plan cuts West Bank off from East Jerusalemamilies set to lose access to schools, clinics, livelihoodsSettlements form near-total ring around cityRoad project would isolate Bedouin, split communitiesThe land available to Atallah al-Jahalin’s Bedouin community for grazing livestock near Jerusalem has steadily shrunk, as expanding Jewish settlements on Israeli-occupied territory encircle the city and push deeper into the West Bank.Now, the group of some 80 families faces eviction from the last patches of valley and scrubland they have called home for decades.Their predicament is tied to an Israeli settlement project that would slice through the West Bank, sever its connection to East Jerusalem, and — according to Israeli officials — “bury” any remaining hope of a future Palestinian state.As more Western powers move to recognise a Palestinian state amid frustration over the war in Gaza, Palestinians around Jerusalem say they are watching their land vanish under the advance of Israeli cranes and bulldozers. Settlements now form an almost unbroken ring around the city.“Where else could I go? There is nothing,” said Jahalin, seated beneath a towering cedar tree near Maale Adumim, a settlement that has already grown into a Jewish suburb of Jerusalem on Israeli-occupied Palestinian land.The so-called E1 project, recently greenlit by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, will fill the last major gap in the settlement belt — an area that, until now, had remained untouched by construction.“This actually cuts the possibility of a viable Palestinian state,” said Hagit Ofran, of Peace Now, an Israeli anti-settlement group. “The territorial continuity from North to South is going to be totally cut.” Israel previously froze construction plans at Maale Adumim in 2012 and again in 2020, following objections from the US, European allies and other powers who viewed the project as a threat to any future peace deal with the Palestinians.But in August, Netanyahu and far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced that work would begin.“Whoever in the world is trying to recognise a Palestinian state today will receive our answer on the ground,” Smotrich said. “Not with documents nor with decisions or statements, but with facts. Facts of houses, facts of neighbourhoods.”The move was condemned by Australia, Britain, Canada, the European Union and Japan as a breach of international law.Palestinian presidential spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeinah condemned the announcement, calling it a violation of international law.The offices of Netanyahu and Smotrich did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.Reflecting growing criticism of the Gaza war — which has devastated much of the enclave on Israel’s southern border — Australia, Britain, Canada and Portugal recognised a Palestinian state on Sunday, joining about 140 other countries that have already done so.But the timing highlights a stark contrast between diplomatic gestures and the reality on the ground, where Israeli settlements continue to expand rapidly across the occupied West Bank.Most world powers consider all the settlements illegal under international law, although Israel says it has historical and scriptural ties to the area that it calls Judea and Samaria.A UN report says Israel has significantly expanded settlements in the West Bank in breach of international law.Today, about 700,000 Israeli settlers live among 3.4mn Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.Last month, Jahalin’s community was served demolition orders for their homes and told they had 60 days to tear them down themselves. Israeli security forces accompanied by dogs have repeatedly raided their homes at night, acts the community views as intimidation.“When a child wakes up and sees a dog in his face, he gets frightened, it’s a disaster,” said Mohammed al-Jahalin, Atallah’s brother.Mohammed al-Jahalin said they used to challenge the demolition notices in court, but since the Gaza war, “if you reach out to the court it will give you an immediate evacuation order.” Part of the E1 project includes the so-called “Fabric of Life Road,” which would create separate roads for Israelis and Palestinians, cutting off Palestinian access to large swathes of the West Bank. The road would also sever a vital link between Bedouin communities — like the 22 families living in Jabal Al-Baba — and the nearby Palestinian village of Al-Eizariya.As children, the Jahalin brothers walked down the stony hill to attend school in the bustling town below, and their grandchildren follow the same path today.“We are dependent on Al-Eizariya for education as the children go to school there, for health, for everything, our economic situation is also tied to Al-Eizariya,” said Atallah.A few hills over across a highway, the settlement of Maale Adumim is poised to expand under the E1 plan.“I do feel for the Palestinians,” said Shelly Brinne, a settler living in Maale Adumim, citing their struggles with checkpoints and limited work opportunities.“But unfortunately as an Israeli citizen I feel like I have to worry about my security first.” A spokesperson for the Maale Adumim settlement did not immediately respond to a request for comment.The Bedouin community came to Jabal Al-Baba after what Palestinians call the “Nakba” or catastrophe, when hundreds of thousands were dispossessed in the war at the birth of the state of Israel.“Our forefathers lived the Nakba, and today, we go through all the struggle, which we wish our children do not have to go through,” said Atallah, who is the leader of the community.In the evening one of the men made coffee over an open flame while the rest of the community lounged on cushions and traded jokes as the sun dipped behind the hills.Across the highway, the lights of Maale Adumim’s white high-rises glittered.“There is no place for us to go,” said Mohammed, sipping his coffee. “To leave the land that we were born in, and so were our fathers and forefathers, if we have to leave it, it would be like dying.”

Hundreds gathered Wednesday in a village of the Israeli-occupied West Bank to mourn a young man who the Palestinian health ministry said was killed by Israeli settler gunfire.Friends and relatives of 20-year-old Said al-Naasan, killed on Tuesday in Al-Mughayyir, carried his body through the village wrapped in a Palestinian flag with his head covered by a traditional keffiyeh.The Ramallah-based health ministry said in a statement that Naasan was killed “by settler gunfire”, while the Israeli military said an off-duty soldier had fired shots after Palestinians had thrown stones.The village’s mayor, Amin Abu Aliya, said that residents on Tuesday evening saw “several armed settlers herding cattle near homes on the eastern side (of the village)”.“They opened fire on residents there, critically wounding the martyr, who later died from his wounds,” Abu Aliya added.In response to a question from AFP, the Israeli military said the incident occurred during “a violent confrontation in which a dozen Palestinians hurled rocks at Israeli civilians in a pasture in the area of Al-Mughayyir”, using a term it usually uses to refer to settlers. Israeli settlers in the West Bank also serve in the army, and sometimes carry their weapons with them when off duty.Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967.In a separate incident, the Palestinian health ministry said Israeli forces shot dead a man in his 20s in the West Bank town of Anza Wednesday. In a statement, the Israeli military said that during “operational activity in the area of Anza, a fighter hurled an explosive device towards (Israeli) soldiers operating in the area.”“The soldiers responded with fire and eliminated the fighter,” it said, adding there were no injuries to Israeli troops. Violence in the West Bank has soared since the October 2023 Hamas storming of Israel.Since then, Israeli troops and settlers have killed at least 981 Palestinians in the West Bank, including many fighters, according to health ministry figures.