Violation: Assault on agricultural land.

Date: 8/5/2026.

Location: Khirbet Shuwayka – Al-Dhahiriya / Hebron Governorate.

Perpetrators: Israeli colonists.

Victim: Farmer Ahmad Battat.

Details:

The Shuwayka area, east of the town of Al-Dhahiriya in the southern Hebron Governorate, has witnessed a continuous series of attacks targeting farmer Murad Ahmad Battat (49 years old) and his agricultural land located near the colonial outpost established east of the area, adjacent to the colony of “Shima.”

Farmer Battat owns approximately 40 dunums of agricultural land and holds official documents proving his legal ownership. The land serves as the primary source of livelihood for his family. Most of the land is cultivated with wheat and barley, while around four dunums were allocated during the current season for summer vegetable crops.

On 8/5/2026, farmer Murad Battat was subjected to a direct physical assault while attempting to reach his land accompanied by his ten-year-old son. Israeli colonists from the colonial outpost suddenly attacked and severely beat him. They also assaulted the child, causing a fracture to his arm, in addition to smashing the windows of the farmer’s vehicle. Due to the severity of the injuries, the farmer and his son were transferred to hospital for medical treatment.

In a related context, colonists from the outpost continue their repeated attacks against Battat’s agricultural land through excessive grazing and the deliberate release of sheep herds into the fields to graze on and destroy crops. Most of the wheat and barley crops were destroyed shortly before the harvest season, causing substantial agricultural losses.

The colonists’ sheep also reached the area planted with summer vegetables, destroying crops during the early germination stage, which is considered one of the most sensitive and fragile phases of agricultural growth. Meanwhile, the farmer remains unable to access the land to assess the extent of the damage or attempt to save what remains of the crops.

As the harvest season approaches and crops dry and become ready for harvesting, colonists have imposed restrictions preventing the farmer from reaching his land. Farmer Murad Battat stated that the attacks are not limited to his property alone, but also include ongoing harassment, denial of access to his agricultural land, and the targeting of neighboring farmers in the area. This reflects a systematic policy aimed at intimidating Palestinian farmers and forcing them to abandon their agricultural lands.

These attacks come amid an escalation in colonist violence in the southern Hebron area, where colonial outposts use sheep herds as a tool to destroy crops and gradually seize Palestinian agricultural land, alongside physical assaults and direct threats against Palestinian farmers.

مشروع: حماية الحقوق البيئية الفلسطينية في مناطق "ج" SPERAC IV - GFFO

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this report are those of Land Research Center and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the project donor; the Norwegian Refugee Council.

إخلاء المسؤولية: الآراء ووجهات النظر الواردة في هذا التقرير هي آراء ووجهات نظر مركز أبحاث الأراضي ولا تعكس بالضرورة وجهات نظر أو مواقف الجهة المانحة للمشروع؛ المجلس النرويجي. للاجئين