UN Condemns Forcible Exhumation of Palestinian Father in West Bank
The incident in Asasa village near Jenin highlights escalating tensions over land use and the status of burial sites within the occupied territories.
Israeli settlers, reportedly acting under military protection, have ordered a Palestinian family in the occupied West Bank to exhume and rebury their father, Hussein Asasa. The confrontation occurred in Asasa village near Jenin, where the family asserts the burial site is a village cemetery, while the settlers claim the land forms part of an illegal settlement. Under international law, such settlements are considered illegal and are not recognised as Israeli territory.
The family stated they complied with the settlers' demands only after being threatened with the use of a bulldozer to dig up the body themselves. Hussein Asasa, an 80-year-old man, had died of natural causes on Friday and was initially buried in the village cemetery with coordination from Israeli security forces who provided necessary permits. Shortly after the burial, the settlers intervened, asserting that the burial was not allowed on the land they designate for settlement purposes.
Mohammed Asasa, the son of the deceased, told the family was left with no choice but to exhume the body and relocate it to another cemetery. According to reports from the Palestinian news agency Wafa, Israeli soldiers were present during the confrontation and reportedly pressured the family to bury their loved one elsewhere. The family noted that the settlers had already begun digging the grave when they arrived.
The United Nations Human Rights Office has condemned the incident as appalling and emblematic of the dehumanisation of Palestinians. Ajith Sunghay, head of the OHCHR Palestinian office, stated that the event spares no one, dead or alive, noting it is part of a broader pattern of attacks by settlers that have surged since October 2023. Recent incidents have included attacks on children and arson against homes and cars across the occupied West Bank.
In response to the allegations, the Israeli military has denied issuing instructions for the reburial. Military officials stated that soldiers arrived at the scene only after receiving reports of a confrontation involving settlers. Their stated purpose was to confiscate digging tools and remain at the location to prevent further friction, rather than to direct the family's actions regarding the grave.
Amnesty International has previously warned that global impunity is fuelling Israel's expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank, accusing the state of brazenly annexing territory considered crucial for any future Palestinian state. This latest event underscores the contested nature of land use and the ongoing disputes regarding the legal status of burial sites within the occupied territories.
