Daijiworld Media Network - Masafer Yatta
Masafer Yatta, Aug 23: An elderly disabled Palestinian man was allegedly assaulted by Israeli settlers in the village of Al-Rakeez in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron, amid continuing reports of settler attacks in the occupied West Bank.
The victim, identified as Saeed Al-Amour, was reportedly attacked on Saturday by armed Israeli settlers during a raid on the village. Palestinian activist Osama Makhamra told WAFA that the settlers were accompanied by Israeli soldiers when they assaulted Al-Amour. He sustained injuries and was taken by Palestinian Red Crescent ambulance crews to Yatta Governmental Hospital for treatment.
Footage circulating online appeared to show a settler striking the elderly man with a metal stick. The incident was also reported by Israeli media, which cited Palestinian sources and activists in reporting that Al-Amour was severely assaulted in Khirbet Al-Rakeez, a hamlet in the Masafer Yatta area.
Al-Rakeez is one of several Palestinian communities in Masafer Yatta, an area in the southern West Bank that has experienced repeated settler attacks and confrontations. Human rights organisations have documented growing pressure on residents through settler violence, restrictions on access to land and settlement expansion.
The latest assault came as several other incidents involving Israeli settlers were reported across the West Bank on Saturday. Palestinian sources said a 15-year-old boy was severely assaulted in Tammun in the Tubas area, while two Palestinians were injured during an attack by armed settlers in Arraba, southwest of Jenin.
The attack on Al-Amour also comes amid a broader pattern of violence reported in Masafer Yatta this year. In April 2025, Al-Amour was reportedly shot by an armed Israeli settler while on his land and suffered injuries that ultimately resulted in the amputation of his right leg, according to accounts cited by human rights sources.
Masafer Yatta has remained a flashpoint in the southern West Bank, with Palestinian residents and rights groups repeatedly raising concerns over settler attacks and the threat of displacement. Amnesty International has previously warned that communities in the area face an imminent threat of forcible transfer amid increasing settler attacks, home demolitions and restrictions on access to land.