Fri Mar 28 07:09:28 UTC 2025: ## Israeli Settlers Seize Palestinian Home, Exacerbating West Bank Land Grab
**RAMALLAH, WEST BANK** – A Palestinian family has been forcibly removed from their home in the occupied West Bank by Israeli settlers, highlighting a surge in land seizures and evictions since the start of the Gaza conflict in October. Ghassan Abdel Basset and his family were visiting relatives when settlers occupied their property, claiming to have purchased it. The family vehemently denies ever selling the home.
The Israeli army prevented the Abdel Bassets from returning to their home, despite their protestations. This incident is just one example of the escalating tactics used by Israeli settlers, often with the tacit approval of the Israeli army, to displace Palestinians from their land.
According to recent reports from Israeli human rights groups Peace Now and Kerem Navot, Israeli settlers now control 14 percent of Palestinian land in the West Bank, with half of this land confiscated since December 2022. This alarming increase coincides with the rise to power of Israel’s far-right government and the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Settler violence encompasses a range of tactics, including vandalism, the establishment of illegal outposts, attacks on farmers, destruction of crops, livestock theft, and the use of animal grazing to encroach on Palestinian farmland. These actions are frequently carried out under the watchful eye of the Israeli army, effectively creating a climate of impunity for the settlers.
Palestinian farmers and Bedouin communities are disproportionately affected, with at least 60 percent of herder communities displaced since 2022, according to the Peace Now/Kerem Navot report. The report also notes the erection of 14 new illegal outposts on land previously used by Palestinian farmers and herders.
Palestinian farmer Leith (last name withheld for safety) described how settlers in his village repeatedly attempt to seize farmland, vandalize crops, and block access to fields. The constant threat of violence, often with Israeli army protection of the settlers, forces many Palestinians to abandon their homes and livelihoods, seeking refuge in overcrowded villages and urban centers.
Experts attribute the surge in settler violence partly to the policies of the Trump administration, which lifted sanctions on settlers deemed “extremists” and effectively abandoned support for a two-state solution. This, coupled with the ongoing conflict in Gaza, has emboldened the settler movement and accelerated the displacement of Palestinians. The resulting situation leaves many Palestinians feeling abandoned and hopeless, as they are subjected to a continuous cycle of violence and dispossession.
First Piper 