"They want all of Jericho"

Settlers from the Nahala movement, backed by the Binyamin Regional Council, entered eight buildings on the outskirts of Jericho, less than a kilometer from the city center. This is the first time since Hebron that a settlement has been established inside a Palestinian city. Following the entry, an attack on Palestinian homes began, and 65 residents fled. The settlers claim they purchased the buildings legally, but demolition orders have been issued against them.

Last week, settlers from the Nahala movement, backed by the Binyamin Regional Council, entered eight buildings on the outskirts of Jericho, less than a kilometer from the city center. This is the first time since the establishment of the settlement in Hebron that a settlement has been established inside a Palestinian city. The buildings are located in the al-Duyuk al-Tahta neighborhood in Area C, near Area A. The settlers have been active in the area for months: in February, they bulldozed homes of residents and forced 13 families to evacuate. After the settlers entered the buildings, an attack began that included stone-throwing and gunfire at Palestinian homes, and 65 residents were forced to flee. MK Limor Son Har-Melech from Otzma Yehudit welcomed the move, and Binyamin Council head Israel Gantz said it was a de facto dismantling of the Oslo Accords. The settlers claim they purchased the buildings legally, but on paper they are illegal and demolition orders have been issued against them. The Palestinian Authority issued an order freezing the sale of homes to residents of East Jerusalem and Palestinian citizens of Israel, and arrested suspects involved in the sale. The evacuated families are currently staying in makeshift shelters in Area A, and masked settlers continue to patrol the area.

"They want all of Jericho"