Thousands of Israeli settlers gathered at al-Auja spring in the southern occupied West Bank this month, celebrating their presence in an area recently vacated by Palestinian families. This event followed the displacement of 1,727 Palestinians from 36 communities in the first three months of 2026 alone, a figure exceeding annual totals from the previous three years, according to the United Nations’ Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Allegra Pacheco, chief of party for the West Bank Protection Consortium, described videos of these celebrations as potential evidence of intentional violence used to forcibly displace Palestinians.
Haitham al-Zayed, 24, now lives in Jabal al-Birka, a desert patch approximately five kilometers from his former home in Shallal al-Auja. He watched videos of settler children wading and splashing in the same natural pools where he spent his childhood summers. Their parents barbecued nearby, expressing joy about returning to what they called “their land,” crediting young settlers for making it possible. This displacement did not occur suddenly. For years, settlers had conducted what al-Zayed termed “provocative tours” near his community. Following the intensification of raids on the West Bank in October 2023, access to al-Auja spring and its vital canals was cut off by settlers. Armed individuals on all-terrain vehicles, reportedly funded by the Israeli government, pursued livestock and children. Israeli soldiers, often alongside settlers in military attire, raided homes to question or detain residents based on settler claims. Al-Zayed’s family alone lost about 400 sheep to theft during this period. By January of this year, families from Shallal al-Auja and the adjacent community of Ras Ein al-Auja, which had been primary targets of settler actions for months, concluded they had no other option but to depart. These former residents now find themselves dispersed across the West Bank, often without reliable electricity or other essential infrastructure. Aid from international organizations supporting these displaced groups is expected to conclude soon. Allegra Pacheco of the West Bank Protection Consortium stated that the video footage of settlers celebrating was more than mere provocation. She views it as potential evidence of celebrating the intentional use of violence by Israeli settlers to forcibly displace Palestinians, which constitutes a serious violation of international law. Pacheco added that the “praising of ethnic cleansing carried out by these settler youth” demonstrates both the impunity and lack of accountability currently observed. Similar patterns of violence have unfolded elsewhere. In Hammam al-Maleh, a previously touristic area in the northern Jordan Valley, Palestinian shepherding communities faced near-wholesale evacuation in the past month. Videos circulated during Passover showed hundreds of settlers gathering for music and prayers outside Hammam al-Maleh’s abandoned school, which once served over 100 students. Muhammad, who remains the last permanent resident of Hammam al-Maleh, refuses to leave. He described the deep hurt felt by displaced families watching the Passover videos, seeing their former homes in the background. Muhammad recounted livestock invasions, property attacks, and the intimidation of women and children, often with the Israeli military assisting settlers rather than Palestinian residents. On March 8, Gilad Shriki, commander of the Israeli forces’ Jordan Valley Brigade, reportedly warned Hammam al-Maleh and other communities to leave, stating that “Area C will soon be cleared of Palestinians,” according to Palestinian activists. Haitham al-Zayed’s new home in the southern Jordan Valley now shelters approximately 120 families from several communities who fled settler violence. Despite relocating to an area under Palestinian administrative control, the same individuals who harassed them previously have reappeared, engaging in similar provocations and chasing children with ATVs. Muhammad, too, moved his wife and four small children to Tayasir, an area under partial Palestinian administrative control, only to find the same settlers pursuing them there. This continuous pattern of displacement, even after initial relocation, indicates a broader objective. Allegra Pacheco noted that over 5,600 people have been displaced since 2023, stretching beyond her consortium’s original Area C mandate. She highlighted a concerning escalation, with armed settlers repeatedly shooting and killing Palestinians. On April 8, settlers shot and killed Alaa Sobeih inside his greenhouse in Tayasir, where Muhammad’s family had sought refuge. Pacheco referenced the United Nations’ early warning indicators for mass atrocities, stating that this type of incitement, tolerance of violence against a distinct ethnic group without accountability, and public celebrations of these acts are extremely disturbing. Observers will watch for further escalations in violence and displacement, particularly as international organizations assess the implications of these events and the potential for broader regional instability.
