WATCH: Settlers set fire to Palestinian olive grove, man shot

By Noam Sheizaf May 26, 2012 | Edit

Eyewitness report that a Palestinian who tried to put out a fire started by settlers in Urif was shot and injured.

Throughout the day, there were reports of settlers from Yitzhar trying to set fire to Palestinian olive groves near the village of Urif, south of Nablus in the West Bank. The entire area is know for its frequent confrontations between settlers and local farmers. A team from B’Tselem who arrived at the spot caught one of the attacks on camera; Sarit Michaeli, spokesperson for B’Tselem who filmed the video, told me she had a very clear view of the settlers torching the field.

According to Palestinian and Israeli sources, the settlers also opened fire on several Palestinians who tried to protect their field. At least one person was injured, and the Palestinian and Israeli media is reporting that his condition is grave. You can hear (but not see) the shots at the beginning of this video, before the camerawoman runs away. According to Michaeli, she later saw an entire group of armed settlers on the hill.

Here is the evacuation of the wounded man. According to Palestinian sources, he was beaten before local villagers arrived and were able to evacuate him (there is no confirmation or video of this). Soldiers who stood at the bottom of the hill didn’t help the evacuation, nor did they stop the settlers who torched the olive groves. According to B’Tselem, fires were being started even after the man was shot.

In the past, the Israeli media has linked settlers from Yitzhar to numerous “Price Tag” activities, in which settlers who weren’t satisfied with government or army activities took out their revenge on local Palestinian residents. On Sunday, Haggai Matar posted videos here in which settlers are clearly seen shooting a young Palestinian, while the soldiers stand idly by. I recommend reading his report and watching the videos here.

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TEST TEST GAL Our team has been devastated by the horrific events of this latest war. The world is reeling from Israel’s unprecedented onslaught on Gaza, inflicting mass devastation and death upon besieged Palestinians, as well as the atrocious attack and kidnappings by Hamas in Israel on October 7. Our hearts are with all the people and communities facing this violence. We are in an extraordinarily dangerous era in Israel-Palestine. The bloodshed has reached extreme levels of brutality and threatens to engulf the entire region. Emboldened settlers in the West Bank, backed by the army, are seizing the opportunity to intensify their attacks on Palestinians. The most far-right government in Israel’s history is ramping up its policing of dissent, using the cover of war to silence Palestinian citizens and left-wing Jews who object to its policies. This escalation has a very clear context, one that +972 has spent the past 14 years covering: Israeli society’s growing racism and militarism, entrenched occupation and apartheid, and a normalized siege on Gaza. We are well positioned to cover this perilous moment – but we need your help to do it. This terrible period will challenge the humanity of all of those working for a better future in this land. Palestinians and Israelis are already organizing and strategizing to put up the fight of their lives. Can we count on your support? +972 Magazine is a leading media voice of this movement, a desperately needed platform where Palestinian and Israeli journalists, activists, and thinkers can report on and analyze what is happening, guided by humanism, equality, and justice. Join us.

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