By Mussa Qawasma
MASAFER YATTA, West Financial institution, Could 26 (Reuters) – Palestinian shepherd Sameeha Rasheed was planning for the sacred ritual of sacrificing her household’s sheep for the Eid al-Adha vacation, one of many holiest events in Islam, however West Financial institution Jewish settlers stole them in a pre-dawn raid, she stated.
As a substitute of celebrating, Rasheed has been left with nothing and has additionally been disadvantaged of the earnings she would have acquired from promoting the sheep not utilized by her household.
The settlers stole round 45 sheep from her house in Masafer Yatta, a group of Palestinian hamlets close to Hebron, she stated. Earlier than the theft, they stole the household’s guard canine, so nobody was alerted when the boys broke in earlier than daybreak on Could 21 and herded the animals away.
“That is our livelihood, my husband and I dwell from the earnings from these sheep. I haven’t got something to get therapy for my husband or spend on myself,” Rasheed, whose husband has most cancers, informed Reuters.
Eid al-Adha, certainly one of Islam’s two important festivals, marks the climax of the annual Haj pilgrimage, when Muslims slaughter animals to commemorate the willingness of Ibrahim, or Abraham, to sacrifice his son on God’s command, typically distributing meat to the poor.
PEPPER GAS SPRAYED AT HOMES AND CHILDREN
Rasheed stated settlers had been finishing up near-daily assaults on shepherds within the space, spraying pepper fuel towards properties and kids.
CCTV footage obtained and verified by Reuters confirmed masked males shifting sheep out of the farm at night time. Reuters verified the situation as close to Masafer Yatta by matching buildings, constructions and terrain to archive and satellite tv for pc imagery.
Settler violence towards Palestinians within the Israeli-occupied West Financial institution has surged for the reason that Gaza conflict started in October 2023. Israeli opposition chief Yair Lapid has known as it “Jewish terror” and a nationwide shame.
Requested for touch upon the sheep theft, the Israeli army stated it had deployed troops to the world however didn’t see any settlers and it had handed the case to the Israeli police.
A spokesperson for the Yesha Council, which represents municipal councils of Jewish settlements within the West Financial institution, didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
About 4,000 head of livestock have been stolen by settlers for the reason that begin of 2026, in line with Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture spokesperson Mahmoud Fatafta. He added that Palestinian farmers had misplaced greater than $5 million as a result of settler assaults.
Israel’s far-right governing coalition has enabled a speedy growth of settlements, with some ministers overtly advocating for the annexation of the West Financial institution. Most nations deem the settlements, constructed on land captured within the 1967 conflict, unlawful. Israel disputes this, citing historic and biblical ties to the land.
Palestinians have lengthy sought an impartial state within the West Financial institution, Gaza and East Jerusalem, ​territories Israel captured and occupied in 1967.
Greater than 700,000 settlers dwell in East Jerusalem and the West Financial institution, amongst greater than three million Palestinians, in line with a European Union report in 2024.
“When we’ve sheep in the course of the time to sacrifice (throughout Eid Al-Adha), we promote them. However now there are not any sheep, not for us to sacrifice nor even to promote,” Rasheed stated.
(Reporting by Mussa Qawasma, Further reporting by Roleen Tafakji, Writing by Ahmed Elimam; Enhancing by Michael Georgy and Sharon Singleton)
