Escalation of Settlement in the West Bank: Destruction of Umm Safa Water Network and Government Funding for 'Hilltop Youth'

Groups of settlers, on Monday, destroyed the main and only water pipeline that supplies the village of Umm Safa, located in the central occupied West Bank, with its basic needs. This step comes amidst a frantic escalation of attacks targeting agricultural lands and Palestinian infrastructure, with the aim of pressuring residents and forcing them into displacement.

Local sources reported that the act of sabotage coincided with settlers carrying out extensive bulldozing operations in citizens' lands and paving a new settlement road in the vital 'Al-Harash' area. This newly constructed road connects Umm Safa village with the neighboring Deir Sudan village, threatening to confiscate vast areas of agricultural land that residents depend on.

For his part, Marwan Sabah, head of the Umm Safa Village Council, warned that the village is subjected to a real and systematic displacement project implemented by the occupation authorities and their settlers. Sabah explained that the village is now surrounded by settlement outposts from all sides, making it dangerous for farmers to access their fields due to repeated attacks.

In a related context, Hebrew press reports revealed the intention of Benjamin Netanyahu's government to allocate a huge budget to support the extremist right-wing 'Hilltop Youth' movement. According to leaked information, the allocated amount reaches about 5.5 million shekels, equivalent to approximately 1.89 million US dollars, which will be disbursed from the official state budget.

The 'Hilltop Youth' movement is known as an extremist settlement organization whose members are active in the random outposts scattered over the hills of the West Bank. This group is accused of being responsible for a long series of terrorist attacks that targeted Palestinian villages, including burning homes and mosques and vandalizing private property under the protection of the occupation army.

Data indicates that these groups are led by extremist Zionist figures, most notably Avri Ran and Meir Bartler, and are formed by elements originating from settlements and major cities. These individuals are not affiliated with a traditional party framework, but rather are united by a hardline right-wing ideology based on absolute hostility to the Palestinian presence in the region.

The head of the Palestinian National Council, Ruhi Fattouh, condemned this Israeli government approach, considering it conclusive evidence of the official establishment's involvement in sponsoring organized terrorism. Fattouh stressed that pumping funds to these groups grants them legal and political immunity to continue their crimes against unarmed civilians and their property.

Fattouh also emphasized that the international community's silence regarding these public fundings encourages the occupation to commit more blatant violations of international law. He called on international institutions to take urgent action to hold accountable those responsible for funding these gangs that wreak havoc and destruction in villages adjacent to settlements.

Various areas of the West Bank are witnessing a state of severe tension due to the continued burning and bulldozing operations and preventing farmers from accessing their lands. Field sources confirm that these attacks are often carried out with the direct support of occupation soldiers, who provide security cover for settlers during their attacks on Palestinian villages.

The decision to fund the 'Hilltop Youth' provides political, legal, and financial cover for settler gangs that carry out organized crimes against Palestinians.