Settler intimidation forces exhumation of Palestinian grave in Asasa
The incident highlights escalating tensions in the West Bank as the Netanyahu government expands settlement infrastructure, with the UN describing the act as emblematic of the dehumanisation of Palestinians.
Following the burial of his 80-year-old father, Hussein Asasa, Mohammed Asasa was compelled by armed settlers from the re-established Sa-Nur settlement to exhume the fresh grave in the village of Asasa, near Jenin. The settlers, claiming the burial site was too close to their settlement, threatened to remove the body themselves unless the family complied with their demands.
Footage obtained by the BBC shows the family members digging up the grave themselves after being confronted by settlers armed with automatic rifles. The remains were subsequently re-buried in a neighbouring village after the family carried the shrouded body away from the cemetery under the watchful gaze of the aggressors.
The Israeli army later intervened to confiscate the settlers' digging tools in an effort to avoid further tension. However, the family accused soldiers of standing by during the initial incident, while the Israel Defense Forces issued a statement condemning any attempt to harm public order or the dignity of the deceased.
The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights condemned the incident as appalling and emblematic of the dehumanisation of Palestinians. Ajith Sunghay, local head of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, stated that the event spares no-one, dead or alive, reflecting a broader pattern of aggression in the region.
Locals reported that the area around the cemetery has been designated a closed military area following the re-occupation of Sa-Nur, effectively restricting access to the cemetery and surrounding olive groves. This designation has been implemented as part of a controversial decision by the Netanyahu government to expand settlements in the occupied Palestinian West Bank.
Since the re-establishment of Sa-Nur, tensions have risen significantly, with settlers openly carrying weapons and displaying aggressive behaviour towards Palestinians. There has been a recent surge in settler-related violence across the West Bank, with reports indicating that 13 Palestinians were killed in settler attacks between the start of the US-Israeli war against Iran and the end of April.
