Amputee Palestinian beaten with pipe by settler in West Bank

A 61-year-old Palestinian man was beaten with a pipe by an Israeli settler outside his home in the occupied West Bank, leaving him bruised and in pain, according to the victim and video footage.

Saeed Muhammad Ibrahim Rabah, from Khirbet al-Rakeez in the Masafer Yatta area of the southern West Bank, said two settlers arrived with a tractor on Saturday afternoon. One began moving stones that the family had placed at the entrance to their property and tried to enter.

When Rabah approached to ask what they were doing, one of the settlers struck him on the back with a pipe. Video of the incident shows the attack, and Rabah was later evacuated for medical treatment.

Israeli police said they arrested a 16-year-old from the settlement of Avigayil in connection with the beating. A 17-year-old from Jerusalem was also taken in for questioning, allegedly for filming the assault with a phone.

Rabah said the attack was part of a broader effort to force families like his to leave the area. "We will remain, no matter what happens," he said after filing a report at an Israeli police station on Sunday. "This is our land and this is our homeland, and we must protect it."

This is not the first time Rabah has been targeted. In April 2025, he was shot in the leg by a settler after confronting him on his land, leading to the amputation of his leg. He said he remains determined to stay.

Mohammed Rabai, head of the Tuwani Village Council in Masafer Yatta, said settler attacks in the area are aimed at displacing Palestinians and seizing their land. He described a pattern of violence intended to kill or drive out residents, damage property, and establish settlement outposts.

Violence has escalated across the West Bank, with Palestinian officials reporting at least 87 Palestinians killed in nearly 1,500 attacks by settlers and soldiers this year. Three Israelis have been killed by Palestinians in 2026.

Separately, the Israeli military said it was pursuing a suspect in a stabbing attack that injured a 24-year-old Israeli man near al-Auja in the eastern West Bank. The victim was taken to a hospital in moderate condition.