West Bank family defies displacement orders amid escalating settler violence and military complicity
Settler arson, joint beatings by soldiers and settlers, and access restrictions continue to target a four-generation Palestinian family resisting removal from occupied territory.
The Masallam family in Khirbet al-Marajim, occupied West Bank, continues to resist displacement despite severe attacks and escalating threats from both settlers and the Israeli military. In March 2025, settlers burned the family's homes and abducted two infants, who were later abandoned. Subsequent assaults in early 2026 included the destruction of their vehicle, beatings of family members by soldiers and settlers, and the demolition of a neighbour's home. The family reports systematic access restrictions, livestock theft, and a lack of accountability for perpetrators, yet they remain on their land.
The violence intensified in March 2025 when settlers targeted the family compound, setting fire to homes and vehicles while abducting two infants from a room where they had been locked for safety. Although the children were found abandoned in a nearby field minutes later, the family describes the event as a coordinated effort to displace them. Following this incident, the Israeli army arrived approximately half an hour after the attackers had fled, with family members reporting that soldiers watched the perpetrators leave and subsequently assaulted relatives.
In early 2026, the pattern of joint violence continued with soldiers and settlers jointly beating family members, including Nayef, Muhammad, and Salman. The family purchased a scrapped car for $690 to transport children to school, only for soldiers and settlers to destroy it completely in February 2026. Despite repairs, soldiers returned two days later to destroy the engine again, rendering the vehicle useless. Thabet, the family's primary liaison with authorities, is singled out for harassment, with settlers allegedly calling the army to summon soldiers specifically to beat him, believing that breaking him will break the family's resistance.
Systemic restrictions have severely impacted the family's livelihood, with reports of livestock theft by settler cows and roadblocks cutting off access to petrol, medical care, and schools. The Israeli Civil Administration has declared the area an archaeological site and ordered the dismantling of the family's sheep fence within 14 days. This designation raises fears that the legal status will be used to justify the demolition of the Masallam family's own homes, following the unannounced demolition of a neighbour's home on 23 March 2026.
Despite these pressures, the family maintains a presence on the land, though they have been forced to relocate women and children to relatives in Duma for periods of safety. The Civil Administration's recent actions, combined with the ongoing threat of settler violence, create a precarious environment where the family faces the constant risk of forced removal. The Masallams describe a cycle of destruction where infrastructure is rebuilt only to be targeted again, with no accountability for the perpetrators.
