Israeli settlers seize 8 Palestinian homes in Jericho, displacing dozens

About 30 Israeli settlers entered eight Palestinian homes in Ein a-Duyuk a-Tahta near Jericho. The UN said settlers reportedly used live ammunition, physically assaulted residents, and threw stones. Families fled because they feared for their safety. The seizure matters because it displaced residents and raised fresh concerns about settler violence in the occupied West Bank.

Peace Now reported that settlers also assaulted and robbed two Israeli activists. It said a Palestinian man was shot in the leg. The settlers claimed they had legally purchased the homes. Palestinian officials rejected that claim, saying the sale documents were forged and the land belongs to the Palestinian Authority.

Some displaced families now lack adequate shelter. The Israeli military declared the area a closed military zone, blocking humanitarian workers from reaching those affected. Residents fear the new settlers could increase violence and bring a heavier military presence to an area where other Palestinian communities have already been driven away.

Area C is one of the administrative zones created through the Oslo Accords in the 1990s. It covers territory where Israel retained control over civil and security matters. The article identifies Ein a-Duyuk a-Tahta as being in Area C, making Israeli authorities the controlling power in the area.

This control shapes the dispute over the eight homes. Settlers said they legally purchased them, while Palestinian officials said the documents were forged. Hussein Hamayel, the Jericho region’s governor, said the land belongs to the Palestinian Authority and cannot be sold. The competing claims concern both ownership and authority.

The article says Israel has controlled Area C since the Oslo Accords. It also says Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967. More than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements there. The incident shows how Area C’s control structure can enable disputes over land, homes, access, and security to become deeply unequal.

The seizure displaced dozens of Palestinian residents, according to the United Nations. The article does not give an exact number of people forced from their homes. Peace Now reported that about 30 Israeli settlers came to take over the eight houses in Ein a-Duyuk a-Tahta.

The reported takeover included violence. The UN said settlers used live ammunition, assaulted residents, and threw stones. Peace Now said a Palestinian man was shot in the leg and two Israeli activists were assaulted and robbed. These details show how a dispute over eight homes affected residents, activists, and the wider community.

The incident occurred within a much broader settlement population. More than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements across the West Bank, according to the article. It also says settler attacks have approached all-time highs this year. Several Palestinian communities around Jericho have already been driven from their homes, increasing fears of further displacement and military restrictions.

The families who fled did not simply return to ordinary life elsewhere. The United Nations said some displaced people lacked adequate shelter after leaving their homes. Their displacement followed reports of live ammunition, beatings, and stone-throwing during the settlers’ takeover.

The main barrier to assistance was a military closure. After the seizure, the Israeli military declared the area a closed military zone. That designation prevented humanitarian workers from reaching the affected people. It therefore limited access to emergency support at the moment families were seeking safety and shelter.

The article does not provide a later account of whether the families received housing or returned home. It does report that Palestinian communities in the wider Jericho area have already been driven from their homes. Residents feared the new settlers would intensify attacks and bring a larger military presence, suggesting that displacement and restricted aid could continue to shape the area’s future.

The main actors hold sharply different positions. Israeli settlers claimed they legally purchased the eight homes. Palestinian residents were assaulted and fled, while Palestinian officials said the sale documents were forged. Hussein Hamayel said the land belongs to the Palestinian Authority and cannot be sold.

The Israeli military controls access and declared the area a closed military zone. The United Nations condemned the settlers’ reported use of live ammunition, assaults, and stone-throwing. Peace Now, an Israeli settlement watchdog, reported the takeover and additional violence. Nachala, a right-wing Israeli organization, said it bought the homes with help from its supporters.

These roles make the dispute both a property conflict and a power conflict. Settlers seek to establish a presence. Palestinian officials reject the transaction. The military controls movement around the site. The UN condemns the violence but cannot reach those affected while the closure remains. Residents fear more attacks and a heavier military presence.

Israel occupied the West Bank in 1967. During the 1990s Oslo process, Israeli and Palestinian authorities divided the territory into Areas A, B, and C. The arrangement was meant to organize Palestinian self-rule while leaving some powers with Israel. The disputed homes are in Area C, where Israel retained control.

Under the Oslo framework, Area A generally placed civil administration and internal security with the Palestinian Authority. Area B gave the Palestinian Authority civil powers while Israel retained overriding security responsibility. Area C remained under Israeli civil and security control. The article specifically says Area C has been under Israeli control since the Oslo Accords.

That structure explains why ownership, building, security, and access are contested in the same place. Palestinian officials say the land belongs to the Palestinian Authority, while settlers claim a legal purchase. The military can close the area. The system therefore leaves disputes in Area C tied to both competing property claims and unequal administrative control.

In international law, an occupied territory is land placed under the effective control of a foreign military power, without that power gaining lawful sovereignty over it. The occupying power must protect civilians and administer the territory under occupation rules. The article describes Israel as occupying the West Bank since 1967.

Israeli settlements are widely considered illegal under international law because the Fourth Geneva Convention prohibits an occupying power from transferring parts of its own civilian population into occupied territory. The article states directly that more than 500,000 Israelis live in West Bank settlements and that these settlements are illegal under international law.

This legal framework matters to the Jericho dispute because settlement expansion changes who lives on, controls, and claims land in occupied territory. It also helps explain international concern over settler violence and displacement. The seizure, reported assaults, and military closure therefore raise issues beyond a private property disagreement, including civilian protection and the future status of the land.