Haaretz: Settlers seize neighborhoods in Jericho, displacing 13 Palestinian families

A Haaretz report reveals a settlement escalation in the Diouk neighborhood northwest of Jericho, including the seizure of Palestinian homes and lands, demolition of buildings and erasure of their traces, alongside the displacement of 13 Palestinian families under the weight of attacks and threats. According to the report, settlers established an outpost within the neighborhood, fenced off about 20 dunams, and seized homes and access roads, while residents reported being subjected to armed attacks and repeated threats, including gunfire, beatings, and property confiscation. The report indicated that families from the Ka'abneh clan were forced to leave their homes after an hours-long attack that included assaults on residents and foreign activists. The 13 families moved to a nearby plot of land within Area A, after losing their homes and property. Haaretz also documented demolitions of Palestinian homes in the area, followed by excavation and burial of rubble, with construction waste moved under army protection. The report raised suspicions about settlers' claims of purchasing eight homes in the neighborhood, noting that at least four are on land registered as state property. Residents and activists accused the army of not intervening to stop the attacks, but rather providing protection to settlers. In response, the army said settlers entered the homes without coordination or prior approval, and that it does not provide personal protection to settlers, claiming the Palestinian families left their homes of their own accord.