Israeli settlers forced a Palestinian family to exhume their father's body from a cemetery in the occupied West Bank on Friday. The family had obtained permits for the burial, but settlers claimed the grave was too close to the re-established Sa-Nur settlement. Ajith Sunghay, head of the UN human rights office in Palestine, called the act "appalling and emblematic of the dehumanisation of Palestinians."
The confrontation began shortly after the burial of Hussein Asasa near the village of Sa-Nur, close to Jenin. Settlers were seen digging at the cemetery, leading to clashes with Palestinians in the area, according to Haaretz. The Israeli army said it intervened to confiscate the settlers' digging equipment.
But the intervention did not stop the desecration. The family said they were then forced to exhume the body and transfer it to another cemetery under Israeli military presence. During the removal, settlers threw stones at the grieving family. "This is appalling and emblematic of the dehumanisation of Palestinians that we see unfolding across the OPT," Sunghay said. "It spares no one, dead or alive."
The Asasa family had reportedly obtained the necessary Israeli permits to bury their father in the cemetery, located around 300 meters from the settlement. The permits meant nothing. The policy says one thing.
The reality says another. Sa-Nur was originally evacuated in 2005 as part of Israel's disengagement from Gaza and four West Bank settlements. In recent years, settlers have pushed to re-establish the outpost, and the Israeli government has advanced plans to legalize it.
The cemetery's proximity to the settlement became a flashpoint. Violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians has long been a feature of the occupied West Bank. But it has intensified sharply since the war on Gaza began in October 2023.
Settlers now carry out near-daily attacks on Palestinian villages and communities, including vandalism, arson, forced displacement, and physical assaults, sometimes involving firearms. Last month, Israeli settlers shot dead two Palestinians, including a teenage student, during an attack on a school northeast of Ramallah. According to the Palestinian Authority's Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission, at least 50 Palestinians have been killed by settlers since October 2023, including 15 this year alone.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) recorded 1,270 settler attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank in 2024, up from 849 in 2023. These figures include incidents resulting in Palestinian casualties or property damage. The actual number is likely higher, as many attacks go unreported.
The Israeli human rights group Yesh Din documented that over 90% of complaints filed by Palestinians against settler violence are closed without indictment. This impunity emboldens attackers. "The state is not fulfilling its obligation to protect Palestinians," said Yesh Din spokesperson Lior Amihai. The forced exhumation is not an isolated incident.
In February 2025, settlers vandalized a Muslim cemetery near Nablus, smashing headstones and spray-painting racist slogans. In December 2024, settlers set fire to a mosque in the village of Marda. Each attack chips away at the fabric of Palestinian life.
International law prohibits the desecration of graves. The Fourth Geneva Convention, which applies to occupied territories, requires the occupying power to respect the dead and protect cemeteries. Israel's actions as the occupying power are under increasing scrutiny.
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In July 2024, the International Court of Justice ruled that Israel's continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is unlawful and must end as rapidly as possible. The advisory opinion also called for the evacuation of all settlers. Israel rejected the ruling.
The United States and European Union have condemned settler violence but have taken limited concrete action. In February 2025, the US imposed sanctions on two settler groups involved in attacks. The EU followed with sanctions on four individuals and two entities in April 2025.
Critics say these measures are too narrow to deter the violence. What this actually means for your family. For Palestinians like the Asasas, the desecration of a loved one's is a trauma that compounds the daily humiliations of occupation.
It is not just about land. It is about being treated as less than human, even in death. Both sides claim victory.
Here are the numbers. Israeli officials argue that settlements are legal and necessary for security. The international community overwhelmingly disagrees.
The UN Security Council has repeatedly affirmed that settlements in occupied territory are a flagrant violation of international law. Yet the settlement population in the West Bank has grown to over 700,000, including East Jerusalem. The Israeli government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, includes far-right ministers who openly advocate for annexation of the West Bank.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir have pushed for expanded settlement construction and harsher measures against Palestinians. Their rhetoric filters down to the settlers on the ground. It is a symptom of a system that dehumanizes an entire population, stripping them of rights in life and dignity in death.
As settler violence escalates and impunity persists, the prospects for a two-state solution dim. The international community's failure to enforce its own laws sends a message that Palestinian lives—and deaths—are negotiable. Key takeaways: - Israeli settlers forced a Palestinian family to exhume their father's body from a cemetery near Jenin, despite the family having permits. - The UN human rights office condemned the act as emblematic of the dehumanization of Palestinians in the occupied territory. - Settler violence has surged since October 2023, with at least 50 Palestinians killed by settlers, according to Palestinian authorities.
What comes next. The Israeli military said it is investigating the incident. But past investigations have rarely led to prosecutions.
The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory is expected to raise the case in her next report to the Human Rights Council. The US and EU may face renewed pressure to expand sanctions on settler groups. For the Asasa family, the next step is grief.
They will bury their father again, in a different cemetery, hoping the dead can finally rest.
Key Takeaways
— - Israeli settlers forced a Palestinian family to exhume their father's body from a cemetery near Jenin, despite the family having permits.
— - The UN human rights office condemned the act as emblematic of the dehumanization of Palestinians in the occupied territory.
— - Settler violence has surged since October 2023, with at least 50 Palestinians killed by settlers, according to Palestinian authorities.
— - International law prohibits the desecration of graves, but enforcement mechanisms remain weak, and over 90% of complaints are closed without indictment.
Source: Middle East Eye
