HRW: Israel army fails to protect Palestinians from settlers’ violence

Human Rights Watch (HRW) held the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) responsible for failing to intervene or support violent attacks by local settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank, causing massive displacement of at least 20 communities in the area and making “entirely uprooted at least seven communities.”

In a statement published on Wednesday, the organization expressed that it has investigated several attacks on civilians by interviewing 27 witnesses and “viewing videos that residents filmed, showing harassment by men in Israeli military uniforms carrying M16 assault rifles,” without receiving any reply from the IDF as of April 16.

“Israeli settlers have assaulted, tortured, and committed sexual violence against Palestinians, stolen their belongings and livestock, threatened to kill them if they did not leave permanently […] The military has not assured displaced residents that it will protect their security or allow them to return, forcing them to live in precarious conditions elsewhere,” HWR underlined.