World

Settlers Seize Eight Homes in Jericho, UN Reports Live Ammunition Used

By Al Jazeera Staff

The United Nations condemned the seizure of eight Palestinian homes by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank city of Jericho. According to Stephane Dujarric, a spokesperson for UN Secretary‑General Antonio Guterres, the settlers reportedly used live ammunition during the takeover on Wednesday and physically assaulted Palestinian residents, throwing stones and prompting families to flee for their safety. Some displaced people now lack adequate shelter, and the Israeli military has declared the area a closed military zone, preventing humanitarian workers from reaching those affected. The incident involved about 30 settlers who entered the houses in Ein a‑Duyuk a‑Tahta on the outskirts of Jericho. Peace Now, an Israeli settlement watchdog, said the settlers assaulted and robbed two Israeli activists and shot a Palestinian man in the leg during the seizure. The settlers claimed they legally purchased the homes, but Palestinian officials say the sale documents were forged. Hanan Greenwood, a settler representative, told AFP that the right‑wing Israeli organisation Nachala had bought the eight homes with their help and that he was excited to be there. Nachala funds new settlements in the occupied West Bank and campaigns for Israel to annex the territory. Hussein Hamayel, governor of the Jericho region, told AFP that the land belongs to the Palestinian Authority and cannot be sold, calling the claim a forgery and settler propaganda. The land is located in Area C of the West Bank, which has been under Israeli control since the Oslo Accords of the 1990s. Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967, and more than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements there, which are illegal under international law. Settler pogroms in the occupied West Bank have reached all‑time highs this year, and several Palestinian communities in the greater Jericho area have already been driven from their homes. Residents fear that the new settlers will intensify pogroms and bring a heavier military presence, a pattern that has played out in Hebron, where 400 settlers live in the Old City among 250,000 Palestinians. Peace Now says the Israeli presence in Hebron has led to constant friction and violence, severe restrictions on Palestinian freedom of movement, and the displacement of thousands of Palestinians.