Escalating settler attacks displace last Palestinian families from Al-Burj community in the Jordan Valley

Field sources reported that escalating settler attacks in the Jordan Valley area, east of the occupied West Bank, led to the forced displacement of the last 15 Palestinian families who lived in the Bedouin community of Al-Burj. This displacement came after a series of violent attacks targeting tents and private property, reaching the point of burning citizens' homes, which forced residents to dismantle what remained of their homes and search for alternative shelter in the absence of international protection.

The displaced residents described the situation in the community as unbearable, as the area has become a hostile environment due to systematic practices aimed at emptying the land of its rightful owners. Residents confirmed that these attacks, ongoing for more than two years, are part of a clear plan to seize lands and convert them for settlement expansion, noting that settlers have already begun to be present at the site in preparation for living there immediately after the Palestinian families leave.

Field statistics indicate that the policy of displacement in the Jordan Valley has reached dangerous levels, with 7 Bedouin communities completely emptied of their residents, while 13 other communities have been subjected to partial displacement operations. The remaining communities in the area face an imminent risk of displacement at any moment, especially since the Jordan Valley constitutes about a third of the West Bank's area and is the main food source for Palestinians, making its control a strategic blow to the Palestinian presence.

On the international level, the Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo, warned of the repercussions of the Israeli escalation in the West Bank. During a briefing to the UN Security Council in New York, she explained that what the region is witnessing represents a process of 'creeping de facto annexation' of Palestinian territories, stressing that all settlement activities lack legal legitimacy and violate relevant international resolutions.

In a related context, UN reports noted that the expansion of military operations and settlement activities around occupied Jerusalem and large areas of the West Bank threatens to undermine any future opportunities for peace. The humanitarian suffering of displaced families continues as they find themselves forced to move from one area to another in search of lost safety, amid the escalating violence perpetrated by settlers with the protection of occupation forces.

What is happening in the West Bank represents a creeping de facto annexation, and settlements are illegal under international law.