Guns have finally fallen silent in Gaza. But throughout the West Bank, settlers and the military have brought those guns to Palestinian villages throughout Area C.
Over the few days after the ceasefire went into effect, gangs of settlers have attacked a number of Palestinian villages, destroying property and injuring at least 21 villagers. NIFC project partner Yesh Din characterized the settler rampages as an attempt to sabotage the ceasefire, which the far-right in Israel opposes. Then, last Tuesday, Israel launched a major military campaign in the West Bank town of Jenin; so far 10 are dead. NIFC funded organization Breaking the Silence connected the dots between this operation and Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s opposition to the ceasefire agreement in Gaza – he is pushing to transfer the war from Gaza to the West Bank. Our partners on the ground know that violence against Palestinians — in Gaza, the West Bank, East Jerusalem and even within the boundaries of Israel itself — is interconnected. And they recognize the importance of having Israelis witness its consequences firsthand.
Last month, Breaking the Silence and NIF grantee Ir Amim, alongside Combatants for Peace, led a three-day program called “The Land Beyond the Hills”. These organizations bring Israeli educators from high schools and pre-army preparatory programs to the West Bank, engaging them in seminars and tours. This kind of program is part of ongoing work by these organizations to bring the occupation into the line of vision for the Israeli public.
The educators who participated in “The Land Beyond the Hills” met with a resident of Masafer Yatta in the South Hebron Hills who survived being shot in the stomach by a settler in October 2023. (The shooting was documented on video. But not a single arrest has been made.) They met with a Palestinian woman who left Gaza in 2021 and had several family members killed since October 7th. They saw the ruins of the recently displaced village of Zanuta, and met with other Palestinian residents who are threatened by the same fate.
This is the kind of high-impact exposure that our partners offer to anyone who will listen. Educators like these can bring the stories of those they heard to Israeli classrooms, where borders, checkpoints, and fear might otherwise prevent such stories from being heard.
The need for this kind of education becomes more critical with each passing day. Over the last week, just as the ceasefire was taking hold in Gaza, settlers attacked dozens of villages throughout the West Bank. They injured at least 20 Palestinians, and — through acts of vandalism and arson — damaged a great deal of property. NIFC partners have been loudly describing the violence Palestinians are facing to the Israeli public, and to all those concerned about justice and peace in the region. Breaking the Silence, for example, posted about the linkages between the ceasefire deal in Gaza and the increased violence in the West Bank.
“After multiple straight days of allowing settlers to torch villages throughout the West Bank, the IDF has now announced another all-out “Operation” in Jenin, complete with airstrikes and destruction of infrastructure. And as Jenin is “Gazafied,” smaller villages get Hebronized. Last night: Settlers, faces covered, approach the village of al-Funduq, and start to torch cars and homes. They’re seen emerging from the top-left corner, near a clearly visible police car. No arrests were made. So, who *was* punished for this pogrom?”
“Now sealed in their homes by the IDF, the Palestinian residents of al-Funduq are made to watch, as settlers take victory laps driving through the village. Egging on more vengeful violence, triggering more collective punishments, and the cycle continues.”
By continuing to document this violence, and putting it in front of Israelis, North Americans, and international eyes, these organizations are shifting the conversation and pushing back against policies of impunity.