In a recent conflict in the West Bank town of Burqa, a 19-year-old Palestinian, Quasi Jamal Matan, was killed, allegedly by an Israeli settler. Following the incident, Israeli security forces arrested five Palestinians and two Israeli settlers on suspicions related to the violent clashes that occurred between the settlers and the local residents.
The police believe the root cause of the skirmishes, which occurred on Burqa’s agricultural lands, was a dispute over grazing areas. The settlers are believed to have arrived with their sheep in the afternoon, leading to an escalation in tension and confrontations.
Local Burqa inhabitants reported to Haaretz that the settlers, hailing from the neighboring Oz Zion outpost, vandalized properties, set a car ablaze, and hurled stones. Most grievously, live ammunition was fired, resulting in the death of Matan and injuries to several other Palestinians.
Honenu, a far-right legal aid organization representing the Jewish suspects, argues that the shooting was a defensive reaction. According to their narrative, the settlers faced a barrage of rocks and fireworks from a large group of Palestinians. The reasons behind the settlers deciding to graze their sheep on Burqa lands shortly before the Sabbath remains unexplained.
Two settlers, Elisha Yered and Yehiel Indore, were taken into custody after the incident. Indore, currently in a severe condition in the hospital, is suspected to be the individual responsible for Matan’s shooting. Yered, on the other hand, is accused of hampering the police’s investigation into the event.
Following the incident, Itamar Ben-Gvir, the National Security Minister, expressed his support for the settlers, urging an expedited investigation and demanding a thorough examination of the actions of the “Arab attackers.” Contrarily, Benny Gantz, leader of the National Unity opposition party, cautioned about the rise of “dangerous nationalistic Jewish terror.” Yair Lapid, the opposition head, also criticized the alleged murder and condemned the support given to the settlers.
Daniel Hagari, the IDF spokesperson, warned that such actions by settlers against Palestinians might instigate further “terrorist attacks.”
The investigation is ongoing, and the exact sequence of events remains to be ascertained.
