Israeli settlers escorted by soldiers attack Palestinian homes in Surif, Hebron district

On Sunday, 2 April 2023, dozens of settlers descended on the village of Surif, launching a three-day attack on its residents, under the protection of the military, which fired tear gas canisters and live rounds at the defending villagers. At around 5:30 P.M., two masked settlers armed with handguns went to 53-year-old Ibrahim Ghneimat’s farmland. Ghneimat was grazing his flock there with his son ‘Obaydah (15). The settlers approached the two and one of them threw a large stone at Ibrahim, who was hit in the forehead, fell down and lost consciousness. When his sons Rami (24) and Ahmad (31) came to help him, they were attacked too, but managed to take him to ‘Aliyah Hospital in Hebron, where he was diagnosed with a cracked skull, and deep gashes in his forehead and back of head were sutured. Ghaneimat also had bruises on the left shoulder and neck and swelling in the left eye. He was kept in the hospital for two days for observation. Rami’s leg was cracked by a stone the settlers threw and it was put in a cast. While the family members received medical care at the hospital, about 20 more settlers, some masked and armed with handguns, arrived at the site of the attack with a military escort. The settlers attacked villagers who had also arrived and threw stones at nearby houses. When village residents threw stones back to defend themselves, the soldiers fired tear gas canisters at the houses. Iman Ghneimat (30), who was on the roof of her house, was hit in the abdomen by a stone thrown by the settlers. She was taken in a Palestinian ambulance to the local clinic. The settlers and the soldiers remained in the area, joined, at some point, by Border Police forces. In the clashes that developed between the settlers and village youths, the soldiers fired tear gas canisters at residents’ houses and the Border Police fired live rounds at the youths. The settlers left around 8:00 P.M., but some soldiers remained until later that night. The next day, 3 April 2023, at around 2:30 P.M., dozens of settlers, some masked, descended on the village again with a military escort. One of the settlers was armed with a rifle. Another was riding an ATV. They cut down and torched olive trees in a grove belonging to a village resident, and then advanced towards village homes and began throwing stones at them in front of the soldiers. When village youths tried to repel the settlers with stone-throwing, the soldiers fired tear gas canisters at them. Some residents suffered from gas inhalation and received treatment on-site. In the meantime, Border Police officers arrived as well, and fired live rounds at the young men. The clashes between the residents and the settlers and soldiers who were with them continued into the evening, and then, the settlers left while shouting and threatening to burn the village as they did in Huwarah. Some soldiers remained there until late at night. On Tuesday, 4 April 2023, at around 4:00 P.M., the settlers returned accompanied by several soldiers. They again broke and torched olive trees in village groves, and again, village youths threw stones at them. The clashes lasted about 15 minutes, and then Border Police officers came and fired tear gas canisters and live rounds at the youths. The settlers left at that point, while the soldiers stayed until late at night, and then left too.