Three Italian volunteers and one Canadian were brutally beaten and robbed by a group of masked Israeli settlers in the West Bank village of Ein al-Duyuk, near Jericho. The attack occurred on November 30 at around 4:30am, when ten settlers stormed into their home after night watch and subjected them to a 15-minute beating.
The Canadian victim recounted the traumatic experience, describing being repeatedly kicked in the head, ribs, hips, and thighs, with settlers shouting insults in Arabic and claiming they had no right to be there. The house was then smashed, solar batteries destroyed, and valuables stolen before the attackers fled.
This incident is part of a disturbing trend of escalating violence against Palestinian civilians by Israeli settlers over the past two months, particularly since the establishment of a settler outpost nearby. Activists report almost daily attacks on villagers, including settler mobs breaking into homes, stealing livestock, cars, and solar panels.
While international law prohibits settlements in occupied territory, irregular outposts are deemed illegal under Israeli law. The village of Ein al-Duyuk is located in Area A, which means it should be administered by the Palestinian Authority but is instead subject to Israeli control.
Canada and Italy have expressed strong condemnation for the attacks, with the Canadian foreign ministry stating that "extremist settlers" must be held accountable. The Italian foreign minister described the violence as an "aggression" that has gone too far.
The Israeli authorities have refused to comment on the incident, despite allegations of a lack of meaningful police intervention. However, leading members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government are known to support West Bank settlers, fuelling concerns about the impunity enjoyed by those responsible for the violence.
Over two years, more than 1,000 Palestinians, including 233 children, have been killed in the West Bank, according to UN figures – a campaign of violence widely seen as aimed at seizing territory. Palestinian activists say that the presence of international volunteers like the Canadian victim is crucial in protecting vulnerable communities and showing that they will not be intimidated by settler aggression.
Despite the traumatic experience, the Canadian volunteer felt that her presence had made a positive impact on the village. She reported seeing villagers "stand taller" when they knew they were being protected, with children playing freely at night and residents sleeping peacefully for the first time in months – a testament to the value of international solidarity in the face of settler violence.
The Canadian victim recounted the traumatic experience, describing being repeatedly kicked in the head, ribs, hips, and thighs, with settlers shouting insults in Arabic and claiming they had no right to be there. The house was then smashed, solar batteries destroyed, and valuables stolen before the attackers fled.
This incident is part of a disturbing trend of escalating violence against Palestinian civilians by Israeli settlers over the past two months, particularly since the establishment of a settler outpost nearby. Activists report almost daily attacks on villagers, including settler mobs breaking into homes, stealing livestock, cars, and solar panels.
While international law prohibits settlements in occupied territory, irregular outposts are deemed illegal under Israeli law. The village of Ein al-Duyuk is located in Area A, which means it should be administered by the Palestinian Authority but is instead subject to Israeli control.
Canada and Italy have expressed strong condemnation for the attacks, with the Canadian foreign ministry stating that "extremist settlers" must be held accountable. The Italian foreign minister described the violence as an "aggression" that has gone too far.
The Israeli authorities have refused to comment on the incident, despite allegations of a lack of meaningful police intervention. However, leading members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government are known to support West Bank settlers, fuelling concerns about the impunity enjoyed by those responsible for the violence.
Over two years, more than 1,000 Palestinians, including 233 children, have been killed in the West Bank, according to UN figures – a campaign of violence widely seen as aimed at seizing territory. Palestinian activists say that the presence of international volunteers like the Canadian victim is crucial in protecting vulnerable communities and showing that they will not be intimidated by settler aggression.
Despite the traumatic experience, the Canadian volunteer felt that her presence had made a positive impact on the village. She reported seeing villagers "stand taller" when they knew they were being protected, with children playing freely at night and residents sleeping peacefully for the first time in months – a testament to the value of international solidarity in the face of settler violence.
. It's heartbreaking to think that those three Italian volunteers and one Canadian were subjected to such brutality just because they were living in a village in the West Bank. The fact that it happened at night, with settlers storming into their home after the watch, makes it even more chilling 
. And what really gets me is that the attackers weren't even trying to hide who they were - they wore masks and shouted insults...it's just so cowardly 
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. I mean, think about it, these settlers are basically getting away with murder and no one's doing anything about it. The Israeli gov't is just turning a blind eye to all this violence and it's disgusting 
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. And what about all the other attacks happening around the same time? It's like they're trying to send a message: "We'll do whatever it takes to get our way." 
this is getting out of hand. 1000+ ppl killed, settlers just getting away with murder... it's like they think they're above the law or something 
. i mean, canada & italy are condemning these attacks but what's happening to the ppl who actually did them? 
it's all so frustrating...
her presence actually made a diff in the village, thats so inspiring 
. it's crazy that the Israeli authorities aren't taking any action here. didn't they have a duty to protect these civilians? 
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i cant belive ppl r treatin others like dis. italian & canadian volunteers are doin good wrk in ein al duyuk, tryna help villagers, & whats the response? brutal beatdowns & robberies by israeli settlers! it's like dey think dey above the law 
. canada & italy r right to condemn dis, but why cant israel do somethin about it?!?? 
. and now villagers r feelin safer & can even sleep w/o fear 
. thats what i call a positive impact! lets keep supportin dem volunteers & standin against dis settler violence 
. We need more people like that Canadian volunteer, who are willing to take risks and put themselves in harm's way to protect vulnerable communities. It's not going to be easy, but it's necessary if we want to create real change in this situation.
. it's like they thought they could just do whatever they want without anyone stopping them or holding them accountable 
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. she was subjected to all sorts of abuse and intimidation, but somehow her presence actually helped protect the villagers 
. that's amazing, right? international solidarity can be such a powerful thing in times like this 
, I'm so sick of all this violence and injustice going on in the world right now 
. And the worst part is that these settlers seem to be getting away with it, which just fuels more violence and instability.
people losing their homes, lives, and livelihoods all because of these settlers and the government turning a blind eye is just not right 
we need to be supporting those who are standing up against this violence and fighting for peace 
instead of just talking about it
. But seriously, 1,000 Palestinians killed in the West Bank over two years? That's just ridiculous numbers 
. And what's with these settlers thinking they can just move in and start causing trouble? It's like they think the whole world is their playground 
. I mean, Canada and Italy are finally speaking out, but it's about time... these victims deserve justice 
. At least one of them saw some positive change after being attacked, that's a silver lining I guess 
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. I mean, who needs international law or whatever when you've got a bunch of angry mobs with pitchforks? The fact that Canada and Italy are all upset about it just proves that the Palestinians aren't strong enough to defend themselves. Those settlers must be real heroes for taking a stand against what they see as occupation 
. And let's be real, if international volunteers like this Canadian chick were just going to sit around twiddling their thumbs while these people were getting pummeled, then I'd say the West Bank is doing just fine on its own 
. The fact that this Canadian volunteer was subjected to such brutality, yet still managed to bring positivity to the village, is just incredible 
. We need to keep speaking out against this violence and supporting our Palestinian friends in any way we can 
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And international volunteers are just trying to help, but they're getting attacked? That's not right.
. Maybe they should just leave and let the Palestinians handle their own affairs? But then again, what's wrong with a little international solidarity and support for those who need it most?
, 15 minutes of beating and robbery is way too much what's going on in that village is unbearable