Ibrahim Wadi, who is 62 years old, and his son, Ahmad, who is 24 years old, were going to a funeral for four Palestinians who were killed by Israeli settlers in their community in the occupied West Bank. While they were driving in their car, they were attacked.
The dad and son were driving in a small village called Qusra, near Nablus. This village has had a lot of violence lately. On Thursday, while they were driving, some armed settlers shot at them. Relatives told CNN that the men were taken to a hospital close by and passed away shortly after because of their injuries.
At least 61 people, including children, have been killed in the occupied West Bank since October 7. Hamas attacked Israel unexpectedly and it was a first-time occurrence. This information comes from the Palestinian Ministry of Health there. Over 1,250 people have been hurt.
The attack by Hamas has caused the death of over 1,400 people in Israel, mostly ordinary people, and it is believed that at least 199 people are being held captive in Gaza, as reported by Israeli authorities.
Israel has declared a “total blockade” in response to the situation and has attacked multiple areas in the Gaza Strip. This has resulted in the deaths of at least 3,478 people. The health ministry in Gaza, which is under Hamas control, has also mentioned the possibility of a ground invasion. Right now, there is growing tension in the West Bank. Palestinians in the area have been involved in conflicts with both Israeli forces and settlers, and unfortunately, some Palestinians have lost their lives.
Hani Odeh, the mayor of Qusra, said to CNN that Israeli settlers freely move around the village with the support of the Israeli police. He told someone from COGAT, an organization in Israel, that he was going to the funeral with Ahmad and Ibrahim.
A little while ago, the Israeli person advised him to choose a different path instead of the usual one to stay away from the settlers in the area. Surprisingly, the road Odeh and the others were told to go on had settlers on it. Sadly, the settlers ended up shooting and killing Ahmad and Ibrahim while they were in their car.
Odeh said to CNN that he saw the attack from his own car while Israeli soldiers were guarding the street. He approached an officer and asked him to make the settlers go away, but nobody took any action. He explained that it seemed like a trap.
CNN asked COGAT and the IDF for a response to Odeh’s claims, but they haven’t received a reply yet.
BrigadierGeneral Hagari said that anyone who tries to oppose us in Judea and Samaria, which are the Jewish names for the West Bank, will face a strong and powerful response.
CNN talked to people who live in the West Bank and they told CNN that they are scared of violence from the Israeli army and security forces. They are also worried about revenge attacks from the approximately 700,000 Israeli settlers who live in that area. In simple words: Recently, there have been a lot of violent incidents in the West Bank, including attacks by settlers. These incidents have been happening more frequently than before, and one attack was so severe that an Israeli military commander described it as a “pogrom. ”
Even before the fighting with Hamas, there was already a lot of tension in the West Bank. Israel started going into the West Bank after there were many attacks from Palestinians. They were looking for places where they believed militants were gathered. The violence caused a lot of deaths among both Palestinians and Israelis, more than at any time in the past ten years.
Days after the violent incident in Qusra, a town with about 7,000 people, the residents are still shocked and upset. Pictures remembering the six people who died cover the walls of houses and buildings. The air feels very sad and empty.
Cars are set on fire, water pumps are damaged, and electricity lines are broken near an apartment building located at the outskirts of the village where the initial four murders happened. There is broken glass all over the floor, and there are bullet holes on the walls.
On October 11, some people with weapons attacked the building. This made the residents ask for help. When a few neighbors came to the place, the settlers started shooting and killed four people. The people who died were Musa’ab Abu Raidi, who was 19 years old, Obaida Abu Srour, who was 18 years old, Hassan Muhannad, who was 22 years old, and Moath Odesa, who was 29 years old.
Rabeea, who is 19 years old, and her younger brother Abdulrahman, who is 12 years old, were in their apartment building. They were really scared as they saw the attack happening. The brothers and sisters, who requested CNN to not mention their last name because they worry about punishment from Israeli settlers, described how settlers threw rocks and shot at the building while they, along with their mother, hid inside.
Their big brother and his 6-year-old daughter got hurt and are getting help at a hospital close by. Odeh, who is the mayor, said in an interview with CNN that there were 12 people, including them, who had to be taken to the hospital following the attack.
Rabeea explains that her brother cannot sleep at night because he is feeling very scared to be by himself. CNN visited the family while they were putting their stuff in boxes and getting ready to relocate to a different village.
I feel really upset. “I want to cry, but what can we do. “”I want to remain here, but we are unable to take any action. ”
They have come here in the past. Seven years ago, Rabeea and Abdulrahman told everyone that their father was killed by Israeli settlers close to Nablus. Their family had to move to Qusra because they were scared of getting attacked. Now, they are feeling very afraid to stay, so they are being forced to leave their home once more.
Israel gained control of the West Bank in 1967 during a war and has occupied it since. Israeli citizens have moved into the area, sometimes with military protection. The people who live there hope that the West Bank will become part of a future Palestinian state.
Many countries believe that these settlements break the rules of international law. However, Israeli governments have promised to continue supporting them. Israel sees the West Bank as an area where there is disagreement about who should control it, and they believe that their actions of building settlements there are allowed by the law.
This year, after the election of a very conservative and extreme government in Israel led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, there has been increased violence between Israeli settlers and Palestinians in the West Bank.
By mid-September of this year, the United Nations reported that there were 798 incidents caused by settlers in the occupied territory, which resulted in 216 Palestinians getting hurt. During that time, Israeli soldiers caused the death of 179 Palestinians in the West Bank.
The IDF claims that most of the people they target are either suspected of being involved in terrorism or are engaging in violent actions against their troops during raids. However, they do not always provide proof for this claim.
People who have moved to live in a new place have been accused of hurting Palestinians. In addition to killings, these attacks have also involved physical attacks, causing harm to property, and disturbing behavior towards others.
Odeh said that they want to make Palestinians leave their homes and eventually leave the occupied West Bank.
This year, due to global criticism, Netanyahu told Jewish settlers that they can’t take land in the West Bank without the Israeli government’s approval. But with him as the leader, Israel has given permission for a lot of new houses to be built in West Bank settlements.
People in the government who are part of a right-wing group have been accused of causing harm to Palestinians. These government members include National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who are settlers themselves.
After Hamas attacked on October 7, Palestinians are facing strict limits on how they can move around the West Bank and between the West Bank and Israel. Israeli military forces have closed off checkpoints and roads, making it difficult for people to travel, as reported by residents speaking to CNN.
Palestinians who live in the West Bank said to CNN that the closure has made a big impact on their daily lives. It has limited their ability to travel for work, school, medical treatment, and other important activities.
During a conversation with US President Joe Biden, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas asked for an immediate stop to attacks on people living in Palestinian areas by settlers in the West Bank. He also emphasized the importance of preventing the killing of innocent people on both sides.
At Ibrahim and Ahmad’s house, which was not far from the apartment building that was attacked in Qusra, their family was very sad on Sunday. They could see an Israeli settlement getting closer to their home. The family includes their wives, daughters, and sisters.
Thank goodness, we are powerful. “And if God allows, we will keep having the energy and calmness,” Khitam Wadi, the wife of Ibrahim and mother of Ahmad, told CNN.
My husband really enjoyed his land. He protected his property. “And we will keep doing the same as long as we are alive,” she said.
Clearly upset, Khitam struggled to explain her sadness. But the younger women in the family, even though they were hurting, were determined to stick to their opinions.
I feel unhappy, obviously. All of this has an impact on me, but it doesn’t make me weaker. Aseel, who is Ibrahim’s daughter and Ahmad’s sister, said that we have always experienced the same thing and nothing has changed in our lives.
This is where we live. My dad showed me how important it is to care about and appreciate my country. I will teach my children the same things. And I will stay forever.