Three arrests of Palestinians in the Jordan Valley this week display coordination between Israeli settlers and military

Israeli settlers and military harassed several Palestinian families and a vegetable stand owner in the Jordan Valley. Each incident resulted in the arrest of the Palestinians being attacked, while Israeli settlers, present on the land illegally under international law, saw no repercussions for their violent actions. These arrests demonstrate how Israeli settlers and military work together to harass and assault Palestinians on their legally owned land.

On 22 February 2026 a group of Israeli settlers attacked the family of Anwar Jamil Sawafta in Bardala. The settlers violently broke into his home and beat Anwar, his wife, and their five children. When the Israeli army arrived, they arrested Anwar and his wife Wissal, leaving their five children on their own. The settlers faced no repercussions for the attack. As of 26 February, Anwar and Wissal are still in Israeli military custody.

On 25 February 2026, Ibrahim Tawfiq Saleh Sawafta was arrested while working at his vegetable stand in Bardala near route 90. Israeli military alleges Sawafta did not have a proper permit for operating the vegetable stand. The same day, the Israeli military and settlement council distributed 10 demolition notices to vegetabe store and greenhouse owners in Bardala, threatening to demolish their property in a week. The Israeli settlement council regularly demolishes Palestinian property despite having no legal basis for ordering these demolitions under international law.

On 26 February 2026 in Khirbet Samra, Israeli settlers entered a Palestinian family’s property, insulted and harassed the family, then called the Israeli military from the nearby base. The military then arrested one of the family members from his own home for several hours before releasing him. The Israeli settlers faced no consequences for their attack. On 1 February, Israeli settlers built a new illegal outpost directly above the family’s homes and have been harrassing and violently assaulting them daily. On 10 February, settlers pepper sprayed two Palestinians in the face, both had to be taken to a medical clinic.


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