In the early morning of Friday 12 April, an incident occurred in the occupied West Bank. Benjamin Achimeir, a 14-year-old teenager, went missing while tending to a flock of sheep near his family’s illegal settlement, the 2015-established “Malachei Hashalom”. [1]
The disappearance of the boy, which was initially suspected to be a kidnapping, prompted an extensive search involving Israeli authorities, the military, and numerous settlers.
However, it took 24 hours before Achimeir’s body was discovered near the “outpost”, signalling the start of a sequence of events that would lead to a deadly escalation of violence. [2]
WhatsApp used to co-ordinate “collective punishment”
Israeli authorities state that Achimeir was killed on that particular morning, although it took some time for his body to be found. They inaccurately concluded that he was killed in a “terror attack”. [1]
Simultaneously, disturbing messages started circulating within settler WhatsApp groups, encouraging retaliatory attacks on neighbouring Palestinian villages.
These messages, originating from individuals with extreme views, promoted activities such as obstructing villages, conducting house-to-house searches, and imposing collective penalties on Palestinians.
Another such message, attributed to the terrorist Elisha Yered — a former spokesman for MP Limor Son Har-Melech and extreme settler suspected in the murder of a Palestinian man last August — called for “crowning” nearby Palestinian villages. [3]
In addition, he urged fellow occupiers to conduct “home to home searches,” and impose “collective punishment against the murderous Arab population.” [3]
This message contained a list of meeting points, some of which were marked with fire emojis, indicating potential targets for violence. [4]
Achimeir’s death taken as basis for mass killings and destruction
The response to Achimeir’s death was immediate and brutal.
In the following days, settlers carried out shooting and arson attacks against Palestinian neighbourhoods. Homes were set ablaze, cars were set on fire, and lives were lost.
According to Palestinian officials and witnesses, the attacks were highly organised and targeted specific individuals and groups near the illegal settler community.
In al-Mughayyir village, which is close to Achimeir’s “outpost”, residents said they were pelted with stones, had their cars torched, and were shot at by armed settlers as they tried to defend their homes. [3]
A BBC News report noted that 52-year-old construction worker Abdellatif Abu Aliya’s house was stormed by settlers. They damaged his property and killed his cousin, Jihad.
‘’The settlers cut the electricity to the house and drained the property’s water tanks by shooting them.
“Jihad, who had come to defend the house, threw rocks back from the roof towards the settlers. But the settlers returned gunfire, killing Jihad with a shot to the head.’’ [3]
In other villages, similar scenes played out, with innocent Palestinian families caught in the middle of settler reprisals.
50-year-old Shehade Abu Rasheed’s family suffered attacks on their home. His daughter, Noor, was shot twice in the legs while seeking refuge with her wounded mother. [3]
Another young villager, 17-year-old Yaqoub Nasan, was shot multiple times in the neck while he was unarmed. [3]
According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, 32 people in al-Mughayyir were wounded by gunfire. By Saturday afternoon, after the body of Achimeir was discovered, two more Palestinians had been killed. In property damage, more than 20 houses and 100 vehicles had been set ablaze. [3]
Zionist forces aided settler attacks with protection, intelligence, and active support
In the wake of the violence, lives were lost, houses were destroyed, and entire communities were traumatised.
At the same time, the Israeli regime came under criticism for its failure to prevent the violence and to hold the perpetrators of the attacks accountable.
In addition, some of the attacks were unsurprisingly carried out by soldiers from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). [5]
According to one family’s video, armed settlers were seen walking around their property before the attack began. At least two of them were wearing what appear to be IDF uniforms.
Abu Aliya said,
“They worked in groups and were following orders from two men, one in uniform and one not. They covered their faces, then one group came forward to throw rocks and set fire to the cars.
“Another group stood at the edge of the property with pistols. Behind them was a group with M16s who fired at the house from the olive groves.” [3]
The involvement of soldiers in some of the attacks, which were witnessed by the villagers and recorded on video, has added to the complexity of the situation.
But as the dust begins to settle in the wake of these terrible events, it is essential that the voices of the victims must not be silenced.
The Palestinian villagers who have suffered the most from settler violence deserve recognition and assistance as they begin to rebuild their lives after what they have endured.
Similarly, justice and human rights advocates who are fighting for peace and reconciliation must continue to stand up against Israel’s terrorism against the Palestinian people.
Analysis
ANALYSIS
Pay attention to the entire Palestinian cause!
Over the past nearly eight months, the world has taken a painstaking amount of time to recognise the true situation in the Gaza Strip.
In that time, the Zionist entity has been unleashing untold mayhem upon the Palestinians, with tens of thousands of women and children killed under the pretext of eliminating Hamas.
Arguably, this is one of the most foolish positions that an authoritarian, oppressive, tyrannical occupying power has held in recent history. One cannot simply eradicate the hearts and minds that yearn to resist occupation and that understand defeat is not in the least in the loss of people or property.
Imagine if the situation was reversed Our role as Muslims in the West must be to continue to speak out about the situation of the whole of Palestine, all of the occupied territories, all of those who we know to be languishing behind bars, and all of those who have gone missing. Illegal settlers — such as those who responded with barbarism to the death of one boy — question why Palestinian resistance fighters are determined to protect their homeland, but they will never see how the situation is many times worse for them. It is not right that Benjamin Achimeir has been killed — according to Israeli sources, by a Palestinian hand — but this level of response is a microcosm of what the Zionist regime has been doing in Gaza. And this is while vast parts of Palestine are illegally occupied, have been occupied, and more areas are being stolen as we speak. The international community recognises the illegality, and yet barely anything is mentioned about such cases.
Also read
- Israel using AI and bots to twist narratives
- Spain, Norway, and Ireland to recognise Palestine
- US army officer resigns amid country’s support for Israel
Source: Islam21c
Notes
