Shot by a settler

A section of Qusra

Today in the West Bank village of Qusra, southeast of Nablus, I heard the first-person account of a young Palestinian who was shot in the abdomen by an Israeli settler with a dum-dum bullet on February 23. Hilme Abdul Azzis Hassan, 27, is a construction worker and university student with a two-year-old daughter and another daughter on the way. His parents thank God that he survived. Here is the story, in Hilme's own words.

Hilme Abdul Azzis Hassan

"We got word that settlers were surrounding a house east of the village, and needed help. I went out there to support the family. When I got to the house, I did not see any settlers, because by then they were hiding. I was not throwing stones. They took me by surprise and hit me with a bullet fired from about 20 meters away. Then the army came and started shooting tear gas. Police arrested the settlers, but they claimed the shots were fired by the army, which was not true. I got medical treatment in a hospital in Jerusalem, where surgeons removed 250 grams (one-half pound) of my liver. I have been home from the hospital for a month, and am feeling much better. I still need to have some X-rays for follow-up."

Area where Hilme was shot

Hilme was the most seriously wounded of 26 casualties in the incident. Ecumenical Accompaniers have visited him at the hospital in Jerusalem and since his release. Human rights  groups are working to file legal action against the settlers for the shooting. He says,  "I used to feel tolerant toward settlers; now I feel aggressive, but I am not going to take a gun and start shooting them!"

Settlement near the Feb. 23 clash site

EAs regularly visit the site of the shooting on Fridays in case settlers come to uproot olive trees or harass children while their fathers are at Friday noon prayers. Today there were no children to watch, but we could see across the Palestinian fields a half mile to the ridge top where where there was an Israeli settlement and soldiers watching us with binoculars. The EAs say the army has been there every day since the clash of February 23.

View toward the ridge

Soldiers atop the ridge

Olive tree near the Feb. 23 clash site

We heard from our driver/interpreter Ghassan that in this area settlers have destroyed the Palestinians' olive trees three times, but each time they have been replanted.

Today we also learned that olive tree destruction is one of various forms of  harassment by Israeli settlers experienced in the nearby village of Duma.

Partial view of Duma

Anwar in front of his house

In Duma we met with Anwar Dawabsha, the public relations official for the schools southeast of Nablus. His family owns 50 olive trees that have not been bothered by the settlers, because they are in the urban area. He says those whose trees are in the outskirts have not been so lucky; they have had trees damaged and olives stolen. A year ago, he says, settlers also burned some cars, and in the summer they swim in the village water source, until officials are called and the Israeli army comes to chase them away. He says sometimes settlers throw stones at schools.

Abu Allam

The head of the Duma Village Council, Abu Allam, told us about other problems with settlers. He says that about six months ago the same settler ran over and killed 20 sheep, and even though his license number was reported to authorities, he was not prosecuted. Abu Allam says a couple of months later a settler stole some bottled gas and food, and lost control of his car and crashed while trying to make his getaway. The thief was identified and a complaint filed based on papers found in the car, but the official does not know if he was ever punished. Another problem, says Abu Allam, is settlers dumping bags of trash in the village.

It may be true that most of the half-million Israeli settlers are good people, but the conduct of some is clearly reprehensible. Although the World Court says all the settlements are illegal under the Fourth Geneva Convention, they continue to expand daily.