‘Our aim is that children are protected’: besieged West Bank school fortifies its defences against settler violence- After deaths of five students at hands of Israeli settlers in last academic year, al-Mughayyir’s teachers and pupils are on high alert

Children watch Israeli security forces deploying in al-Mughayyir on 29 September, when dozens of settlers from hilltop outposts raided the village, leaving at least five burnt-out cars. Photograph: Zain Jaafar/AFP/Getty Images

 

William Christou and Sufian Abu Taha in al-Mughayyir

Tue 3 Nov 2026

This year, parents in al-Mughayyir had to be persuaded to send their children back to school. Israeli settlers had killed five teenage students last academic year – one of them at the school gates.

To reassure parents, teachers of the public secondary school gave a tour of the facilities, which they had spent the summer break fortifying. Metal fences now towered over the schoolyard’s walls and the door had been replaced by a sturdy metal gate. A new wall shielded the classrooms from a hilltop where last academic year a settler had shot dead two people, including a student.

Al-Mughayyir, a town of about 3,000 people north-east of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, is under a siege by Israeli settlers. Armed settlers regularly raid the village, assaulting residents, attacking homes and seizing livestock. Israeli soldiers set up checkpoints that prevent people from entering or leaving for hours at a time.

The school is isolated on the very edge of the village, close to its entrance. Settlers stage their raids around the school, attacking under the watchful eye of the Israeli military.

A single Israeli soldier stands at the entrance of the village, his rifle slung over his shoulder as he paces back and forth idly. It is he who decides who can come and go in the village. The excited shouting of schoolchildren playing can be heard from where he stands; the children’s voices echo across the otherwise quiet village, most shops shuttered despite it being a weekday.

Residents say the violence is part of a wider project to displace Palestinians from their land, one that has already driven smaller communities from their homes. Now, they fear the same tactics are being turned against an entire village in an attempt to make life so intolerable that residents leave.

“When the settlers began their attacks, they began in the Jordan valley area, displacing communities of farmers consisting of 10, 20 people. Now, they are trying to displace entire villages. What’s happening in al-Mughayyir is the beginning of this project,” said Ameen Abu Alia, the 54-year-old mayor of the town... READ MORE   https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/nov/03/our-aim-is-that-children-are-protected-besieged-west-bank-school-fortifies-its-defences-against-settler-violence

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Israeli authorities have severed Hebron from the rest of the occupied West Bank, sealing the governorate behind 106 iron gates and blocking 16 major access roads with earth mounds.

Israeli authorities have severed Hebron from the rest of the occupied West Bank, sealing the governorate behind 106 iron gates and blocking 16 major access roads with earth mounds.

 The Cradle

@TheCradleMedia

Israel seals Hebron with 106 iron gates and moves to annex Ibrahimi Mosque amid West Bank siege —— 

 

Israeli authorities have severed Hebron from the rest of the occupied West Bank, sealing the governorate behind 106 iron gates and blocking 16 major access roads with earth mounds. 

 

Hebron Governor Khaled Dodin revealed during a press conference that the sweeping military closure serves as a physical framework for the systematic annexation of the historic Ibrahimi Mosque, according to Anadolu Agency. 

 

Occupation forces have advanced unauthorized construction on the sanctuary's roof while seizing municipal infrastructure, water networks, and electrical controls. 

 

The administrative takeover was codified when Tel Aviv stripped the Hebron Municipality of its legal management powers, transferring jurisdiction directly to the nearby illegal Kiryat Arba settlement. 

 

Palestinian officials denounced the move as a flagrant assault on the historical status quo of the holy site, noting that occupation forces have banned the Muslim call to prayer for ten consecutive days and barred local worshippers. 

 

The siege on the sanctuary unfolds alongside a broader colonial land grab that has seen the establishment of over 20 new illegal settlement outposts and more than 700 recorded occupation and settler attacks across the governorate.

 

https://x.com/TheCradleMedia/status/2113939743679332534 

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Israeli settlers targeting Palestinian factories to force workers off land: Rising Israeli settler violence targets Palestinian industrial facilities across the occupied West Bank, aiming to paralyse the local economy and force mass displacement.

Burned trees and scorched land are seen following an arson attack by Israeli settlers on the Al-Omari aluminium factory in Ein Siniya [Screengrab/Al Jazeera]

 By Ola Mohammad

Published On 27 Aug 202627 Aug 2026

A massive fire, believed to have been started by Israeli settlers, has destroyed olive trees and farmland in the occupied West Bank.

A blaze broke out near the al-Omari aluminium factory in the village of Ein Siniya, north of Ramallah, on Monday morning, spreading to roughly 50 dunams (12.3 acres) of perennial olive trees and causing damage to the industrial facility’s yard.

It comes amid a settler campaign targeting the West Bank economy, including farmland and industry, in a bid to displace Palestinians, sources told Al Jazeera.

Emad Khater, the head of Ein Siniya council, told Al Jazeera that a settler from the Atara hilltops was seen close to the facility before the fire started. When the blaze broke out, Israeli soldiers prevented residents and workers from putting out the fire.

“[It] is one of a series of systematic attacks that previously affected Ein Siniya, which included deliberate fires in trees, homes, and cars, in addition to theft incidents and physical assaults with beatings that affected citizens and workers inside the factories,” said Khater.

Ein Siniya is in Area B according to the Oslo Accords, which should see it under Palestinian civil and joint Israeli-Palestinian security control.

Abdul Samad Abdul Aziz, the owner of the Ein Siniya facility, said Israelis from illegal settlements had infiltrated the industrial site in late July and set fire to heavy equipment. A stone crusher was severely damaged in the attack and caused an estimated $700,000 in losses.... READ MORE  https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2026/8/27/israeli-settlers-targeting-palestinian-factories-to-force-workers-off-land 

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After visits by US ambassador Mike Huckabee to the nearby Israeli settlement of Shilo, Palestinian Americans in Turmus Ayya have witnessed a terrifying rise in attacks... Abandoned by the US: Palestinian Americans trapped in a surge of Israeli settler violence

Ashraf Rabi on the farm where he breeds Arabian horses in Turmus Ayya. He is worried that settlers attacking the village could harm his horses. Photograph: Quique Kierszenbaum/The Guardian

Mon 3 Aug 2026 06.00 EDT

By Andrew Roth and Sufian Taha in Turmus Ayya, West Bank. Photography by Quique Kierszenbaum

No man’s land in Turmus Ayya lies where the US flags end and the Israeli flags begin. It is a few hundred metres of soil scorched by molotov cocktails where Israeli settlers have placed a boulder to tell the Palestinian villagers: this is our land now.

On one side of that boulder are the white-stoned mansions where the Palestinian residents of Turmus Ayya live. About 80% of them are US citizens, members of the diaspora in New York, Chicago and Paterson, New Jersey, who return for the summers and bring their children here to experience Palestinian culture and learn Arabic. Many call themselves proud American patriots and fly the stars and stripes from their balconies.

On the other side is an illegal Israeli outpost of corrugated metal trailers and shacks staffed by young men who claim all of the West Bank as Jewish land.

The outposts radiate from Shilo, a hilltop settlement across the valley that has become a destination for Americans seeking Judaism’s first religious and spiritual capital before the first temple was built. Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, has visited Shilo, which the UN says is a violation of international law, twice in the last two years.

The irony is not lost on people here that the US has backed settlers claiming the West Bank as theirs, and that US dollars – through Jewish charities and the US budget to support the Israeli military – have helped finance the Israeli land grab. Given Shilo’s close ties to the US, they muse that some of those attacking Turmus Ayya could be fellow Americans.

“Only in Palestine will you find American citizens invading American citizens for land,” said Yaser Alkam, a semi-retired family law attorney from Turmus Ayya who for 35 years lived in Anaheim, California. He is now the head of this village’s council. “There is no fight. One side attacks and the other side defends with the limited means that we have.”

The violence is relentless. At night, settlers roam the village in off-road vehicles and intimidate people with gunshots, screaming and shining flashlights through the windows....READ MORE  https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/03/palestinian-village-trapped-surge-settler-violence-turmus-ayya-west-bank

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Amputees take part in a match inspired by the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina amid the rubble in Gaza City. Palestinians widely supported Spain in the final because the Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has strongly criticised Israel’s military campaign

Deir al-Balah, Gaza

A Palestinian girl searches for reusable items at a landfill site. Israel’s defence and finance ministers this week announced plans for three illegal settlements in Gaza and more than $400m (£300m) in funding to expand construction in the occupied West Bank, as Israel’s military commander for the region celebrated the violent outposts as his ‘security partners’. Photograph: Abdel Kareem Hana/AP

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2026/jul/24/the-week-around-the-world-in-20-pictures?CMP=share_btn_url#img-8

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Gaza

Amputees take part in a match inspired by the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina amid the rubble in Gaza City. Palestinians widely supported Spain in the final because the Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has strongly criticised Israel’s military campaign. Photograph: Mohammed Saber/EPA

 https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2026/jul/24/the-week-around-the-world-in-20-pictures?CMP=share_btn_url#img-6

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Gaza celebrates World Cup victory of Spanish team they took into their hearts

People gather at cafes and outdoor screenings to support team after Spain’s backing for Palestinian rights

The Spanish football team’s World Cup win has been celebrated in the streets of Gaza, where Spain’s support for Palestinian rights and Israel’s backing for the Argentinian team turned the competition into more than a football showdown.

Gathered at cafes and outdoor screenings, Palestinians defied the risk of Israeli attacks to cheer on a team they had taken to their hearts... READ MORE  https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jul/21/gaza-celebrates-world-cup-victory-of-spanish-team-they-took-into-their-hearts

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Near daily Israeli attacks have continued in Gaza despite a ceasefire announced in October, killing 1,127 Palestinians and injuring 3,643 since then, according to the Gaza health ministry. In its daily report, the ministry said four people were killed in the past 24 hours, and 28 were wounded.

Palestinians save their belongings from destroyed buildings following an Israeli airstrike last night, at al-Bureij refugee camp, central Gaza Strip. Photograph: Abdel Kareem Hana/AP

Images on the newswires show the aftermath of an Israeli airstrike last night at al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza [PALESTINE]. Near daily Israeli attacks have continued in Gaza despite a ceasefire announced in October, killing 1,127 Palestinians and injuring 3,643 since then, according to the Gaza health ministry. In its daily report, the ministry said four people were killed in the past 24 hours, and 28 were wounded.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/jul/16/iran-us-donald-trump-war-strait-hormuz-oil-israel-lebanon-latest-news-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&page=with%3Ablock-6a58a7b88f08d0763503f40d#block-6a58a7b88f08d0763503f40d 

 & a glimpse of Lebanon

An Israeli flag hangs from a building in Lebanon as seen from the Israeli side of the Israel-Lebanon border.  Photograph: Shir Torem/Reuters

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"A [Palestinian] landscape that has endured for centuries, of steep terraced hills, olive groves, vineyards, lemon trees planted around springs, and fields of herbs and vegetables in the valleys, is consequently being ripped apart at breakneck speed." Palestinians brace as Israeli settler figures in coalition seek to cement West Bank gains before election

Ilhan Karajeh inspects olive trees destroyed by Israeli settlers. Photograph: Quique Kierszenbaum/The Guardian

Growing number of [Israeli] farm outposts using violence to seize territory, a process seemingly enabled by radical elements in Netanyahu’s government

Julian Borger in Ein Arik. Photographs by Quique Kierszenbaum

Wed 8 Jul 2026

The attack in Ein Arik came in the middle of the night and was aimed at the rudiments of life: the earth, water, roots and seedlings.

Ilham Karajeh awoke on Friday last week to find her family allotment raided and ruined. The thin black irrigation pipes had been sliced, grape vines cut and 70 young olive trees, the embodiment of the family’s aspirations for the future, had been uprooted.

On Sunday, Karajeh and her husband, Mohammed, were collecting the severed branches. “See – they are still wet with sap,” she cried out in horror at the cruelty of the act.

There was no doubt in this West Bank village about the perpetrators. Since a new settler outpost had been established last year on a neighbouring hill, violence has flowed down into the valleys in a gathering tide.

The outpost, which now calls itself Maoz Tzur, began with just a handful of Israeli settlers but they quickly set about seizing territory. Their first target was the Bedouin shepherd community on the surrounding hills and valleys. Then the pressure was turned up on the villagers. For more than a year they have been prevented from reaching family olive and citrus groves and springs on the hillsides to the south, nearest the new settler outpost. Those brave enough to venture in that direction were repeatedly attacked with clubs and stones.

The night attack on the Karajeh family’s small farm reflects an acceleration in the intimidation campaign around Ein Arik, extending northwards and up the slope towards the neighbouring village of Deir Ibzi. It is part of a surge of settler aggression across the West Bank driven by the febrile dynamics of Israeli politics.

Elections are looming. They must be held by the end of October at the latest and as things stand, Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right bloc is facing the prospect of defeat after more than three years of political domination. The radical settler elements in the coalition are scrambling to impose facts on the ground in the West Bank before the vote.

A landscape that has endured for centuries, of steep terraced hills, olive groves, vineyards, lemon trees planted around springs, and fields of herbs and vegetables in the valleys, is consequently being ripped apart at breakneck speed.

“These are going to be very tough months,” said Dror Etkes, the founder of Kerem Navot, an advocacy group dedicated to monitoring the unfolding land grab in the West Bank. “Firstly, it doesn’t look good for the current coalition, so there could be a new government. Secondly, all the attention is on the elections so the settlers can use this period to do whatever they want.”

Throughout 2025 and the first half of this year, the creeping de facto annexation of the West Bank has broken into a gallop, driven primarily by... READ MORE https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jul/08/palestinians-brace-as-israeli-settler-figures-in-coalition-seek-to-cement-west-bank-gains-before-election

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