On February 26, an aerial perspective captured vehicles set ablaze by Israeli settlers during an assault on Huwara. The incident was incited by the murder of two Israelis in the town of the occupied West Bank.
The Israeli military labeled the settler attack on the Palestinian town as a “pogrom,” while videos indicate minimal intervention by soldiers to prevent it.
Authored by Gianluca Mezzofiore, Celine Alkhaldi, Abeer Salman, and Nima Elbagir of CNN, this article was published at 12:01 AM EDT on Thursday, June 15, 2023
Israeli settlers unleashed a rampage through Huwara and neighboring Palestinian towns in the occupied West Bank on February 26, resulting in the death of at least one Palestinian man and causing injuries to hundreds more. The attack was purportedly driven by revenge after a Palestinian gunman killed two nearby brothers.
The scale of violence during the incident prompted the Israeli military commander for the West Bank to describe it as a “pogrom.” The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) acknowledged their inadequate preparedness for retaliatory assaults in an inquiry, which revealed a lack of sufficient deployment of soldiers to prevent the riots. Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, Israel’s top military officer, expressed remorse for the incident, stating, “This is a severe incident that took place under our responsibility and should not have happened.”
A comprehensive CNN investigation, spanning several months, uncovered crucial details about the conduct of Israeli forces through video analysis, exclusive testimony from an Israeli soldier, and interviews with seven eyewitnesses and two Palestinian journalists, shedding new light on the events.
CNN’s investigation revealed that Israeli forces not only failed to quell the riots in Huwara but also neglected to protect residents as Israeli settlers torched Palestinian homes and businesses and obstructed emergency services. Instead, when residents responded to the settlers’ aggression by throwing rocks, Israeli forces responded with tear gas and stun grenades, as corroborated by footage analysis and eyewitness accounts.
According to Breaking the Silence, an NGO founded by IDF veterans to provide a confidential platform, a soldier’s testimony revealed that numerous armed forces, including Israel Border Police, were present during the incident and were aware of the settlers’ threat but refrained from intervening. The soldier remarked that they allowed the settlers to advance unhindered, emphasizing the army’s lack of proficiency in addressing settler terrorism.
Following the violence, Bezalel Smotrich, Israel’s finance minister and a settler who opposes Palestinian sovereignty, controversially expressed that “Huwara needs to be erased.”
Residents of Huwara, located along the primary north-south road in the West Bank, have endured ongoing harassment from passing settlers. However, in the aftermath of the violence, they conveyed heightened fear and concern for their security, surpassing any previous levels of apprehension.
Nawal Dumeidi, aged 75, surveys the exterior of her residence in Huwara that was set ablaze by settlers on February 26
Amid escalating rhetoric from Israel’s right-wing government, vowing to expand its control over the occupied territory, settler attacks persist with limited accountability. The IDF acknowledged that numerous Israelis engaged in the desecration of Palestinian property and violent acts against Palestinian residents on February 26. However, only a few individuals were arrested, and all were subsequently released without charges, as stated in an IDF statement to CNN.
Pursuing Retribution
Hillel Menachem Yaniv (22) and Yagel Ya’acov Yaniv (20), residents of Har Bracha, a Jewish settlement near Nablus, were the two Israeli brothers whose deaths sparked the subsequent rampage. Hillel had recently fulfilled his mandatory military service, while Yagel was preparing to initiate the recruitment process.
While en route to their yeshiva, a Jewish religious school, the two brothers were targeted in an attack by a Palestinian gunman. Both Hamas and the IDF identified the assailant as a member of Hamas. This shooting incident occurred shortly after a significant Israeli military operation in Nablus, aimed at capturing wanted militants, resulted in the deaths of at least 11 Palestinians.
Israeli security forces promptly arrived at the scene of the shooting incident that claimed the lives of the Yaniv brothers
In response to the Yaniv brothers’ deaths, the administrators of the WhatsApp group “Fighting for Life,” which coordinates settler demonstrations, issued a call for members to “fight back” and march from the settlements of Yitzhar and Kfar Tapuach. The post was circulated across multiple settler WhatsApp groups and social media platforms, indicating that authorities were potentially aware of the imminent threat of violence.
The post expressed the demand for revenge and the need to take action, urging participants to leave their homes and fight for their lives following the daylight attack in Huwara. It specified a planned march from the Yitzhar and Tapuach junctions to the site of the attack in Huwara at 18:00.
According to residents of Huwara, a significant portion of the enraged mob on February 26 originated from Yitzhar, a nearby settlement situated partially on privately owned Palestinian land.
Settlers attempt to obstruct the Tapuach junction on Route 60, the primary north-south road in the West Bank passing through Huwara
Analysis conducted by CNN in collaboration with FakeReporter, an Israeli watchdog focused on disinformation and far-right groups, revealed the involvement of certain Members of the Knesset (Israel’s Parliament) in the monitored WhatsApp groups, including lawmaker Limor Son Har-Melech.
Son Har-Melech, a member of security minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit party, shared a tweet from Huwara expressing her support for the “residents of Samaria” who were protesting and demanding security after feeling neglected for an extended period. The term “Samaria” is the biblical name used by Israel to refer to the West Bank.
Zvi Sukkot, another Knesset member from Bezalel Smotrich’s ultra-nationalist Religious Zionism party, who resides in Yitzhar, posted on Twitter stating that the problematic situation in Huwara needed to be addressed. Later, he shared a photo of himself alongside settlers at the Tapuach junction, where they had gathered to march towards the town.
On February 27, mourners gathered at the military cemetery in Jerusalem to participate in the funeral service for the Yaniv brothers
Since Israel’s occupation of the West Bank in 1967, the territory, anticipated to be part of a future Palestinian state, has been fragmented and divided by Israeli settlements. Huwara, with a population of approximately 7,000, is surrounded by settlements known for their extremist reputation.
While most of the international community considers these settlements illegal under international law, successive Israeli governments have expressed support for them. The International Criminal Court classifies the transfer of a civilian population by an occupying power into the occupied territory as a war crime. Israel, however, regards the West Bank as “disputed territory” and maintains that its settlement policy is legal.
Achiya Schatz, the executive director of FakeReporter, informed CNN that given the widespread dissemination of calls for violence beforehand on encrypted apps and social media by settler groups and far-right politicians, Israeli security forces should have been able to prevent the attack on Huwara. CNN had seen at least one of these posts several hours before the violence erupted in Huwara.
In June 2020, a young individual was observed riding a bicycle along a road within the Jewish settlement of Yitzhar, located in the occupied West Bank
According to Schatz, right-wing extremist groups on WhatsApp and Telegram pose a significant threat, describing them as ticking time bombs. These groups are routinely utilized by settlers to organize acts of violence. Schatz expressed concern that Israeli security forces neglected their duty to monitor these violent groups and failed to prevent the violence during the incident. This raises apprehension about their readiness to prevent future events.
Although CNN cannot independently verify the exact number of settlers from the analyzed WhatsApp groups by FakeReporter who engaged in violence against Palestinians and their properties on February 26, there is evidence of at least one “admin” from these groups, residing in Yitzhar, who filmed himself in Huwara that evening with flames visible in the background. In the video, he stated, “Simple Jews are coming and doing the natural thing of revenge.”
Smoke rises over Huwara after Israeli settlers rampaged through the town, setting fire to homes, businesses and cars
Act of violence
Ziad Dumaidi, 48, anticipating the arrival of Israeli settlers through word-of-mouth and social media, took precautions in preparation for potential harm. He procured water, repaired the fire extinguisher, and relocated his car to a friend’s residence. Dumaidi recounted previous incidents when settlers had besieged his home, hurling stones at his windows and attempting to forcibly enter. However, they had never attempted to ignite it.
Verified and geolocated videos obtained by CNN depicted a significant number of individuals converging on Huwara’s main street from a nearby roundabout between 6 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. local time. They proceeded to set fire to car tires, vehicles, trash cans, and wooden pallets near the entrances of residential buildings, shops, and businesses.
Unfolding of the attack on Huwara
In the afternoon of February 26, two Israeli settlers were fatally shot by a Palestinian gunman while traveling through Huwara. Subsequently, Israeli settlers used WhatsApp to call for “revenge,” leading to the arrival of hundreds of settlers in the West Bank town by early evening. The settlers proceeded to set fire to cars and buildings, obstructing emergency services from assisting residents. To comprehend the sequence of events, CNN conducted an analysis of over 20 videos captured at the scene.
Dumaidi recounted that his house was engulfed in flames, leaving him, his wife, and their four children trapped inside. Amidst the smoke-filled environment, they prepared for their potential demise and recited the shahada, the Muslim declaration of faith. Feeling as though their lives were about to end due to the scarce oxygen, Dumaidi expressed that it was a dire situation. Over two hours after the fire had started, Dumaidi mentioned that Israeli officers eventually assisted in extinguishing the blaze. However, they took no action when settlers persisted in throwing rocks at him.
Video footage depicted the aggressive mob launching stones towards residents who had congregated on their balconies, windows, and rooftops. They further ignited a parking lot, which contained numerous cars and belonged to a dealership and repair shop situated at the town’s entrance. This establishment served as a vital economic hub in Huwara, catering to both Palestinians and Israelis seeking vehicle repairs.
Hana Abu Saris, the owner of the dealership, revealed, “They went behind the house and started to burn the cars. They went from one car to the next. I went downstairs and there they were. They fired three bullets at me. They started to chant ‘death to the Arabs, we want to wipe out Huwara,'” as shared with CNN.
The aftermath of the violence on February 26 in Huwara revealed a torched scrapyard of cars, resulting in significant property damage throughout the area
Nawal Dumeidi, a 75-year-old resident of Huwara, and her daughters were confined to their home for three days as settlers placed and ignited flammable material in front of their door, rendering it impassable. Dumeidi’s son had to return from Dubai in order to rescue them.
Nawal Dumeidi described hearing rocks striking her apartment roof and balcony, witnessing the approaching fire. She attempted to extinguish the flames using a bucket of water, but she alleged that the Israeli military responded by firing tear gas and stun grenades, causing severe discomfort and burning sensations on their faces. Dumeidi provided evidence to CNN, displaying tear gas canisters and stun grenades scattered on her balcony, which she claimed as proof of the Israeli military’s actions.
CCTV footage from Dumeidi’s building captured settlers, identifiable by their religious tassels known as tzitzit, setting fire to wooden logs positioned near the main door of her apartment block. CNN verified with Dumeidi’s family that the incident occurred at 6:27 p.m. Additionally, live footage from Palestine TV supported the timeline, revealing Israeli soldiers passing by without preventing the settlers from starting the fire or intervening to extinguish it.
The Palestine TV livestream depicted multiple armored Israeli military vehicles and soldiers patrolling Huwara’s main road. In the footage, Israeli soldiers were seen firing tear gas towards residential buildings, which were also being targeted by settlers throwing stones.
Despite claims on social media by some Israeli settlers that the army and police used tear gas to disperse the crowds, none of the reviewed videos by CNN showed them firing on the settlers. The IDF stated that its forces employed tear gas, stun grenades, and live fire in the air to disperse the riot and separate the two sides.
According to a Palestinian Civil Defense spokesperson, settlers and the Israeli military blocked all access points into Huwara, and emergency services were warned it was unsafe to enter. Settlers attacked a fire truck with numerous stones, leading it to retreat while the Israeli military stood by, as stated by the spokesperson.
Videos geolocated at 8:25 p.m. captured fire trucks and ambulances being halted by Israeli soldiers at the roundabout leading to Huwara’s main street. The Palestine Red Crescent Society spokesperson confirmed that the emergency vehicles were ambushed by settlers under the observation of the military. When the Israeli forces finally permitted their entry, they advised them that it was at their own risk and responsibility if settlers attacked, according to the spokesperson.
An Israeli soldier, whose testimony was exclusively shared with CNN, highlighted the IDF and Israel Border Police’s significant failure in protecting and allowing fire trucks to enter. He stated, “The fire truck simply drove alone and was attacked… The village continued to burn.”
According to the soldier, the fires and violence could have been prevented if the army had used force to deter the settlers from entering Huwara. He emphasized the need to respond with tear gas, stun grenades, and repelling measures when faced with a group of masked individuals who may be carrying weapons.
In Za’tara, a Palestinian town also targeted on February 26, Sameh Aqtash, a 37-year-old aid worker and father of five, was shot in the abdomen. A group of 30 settlers initially approached the village and ordered them to leave. They returned later accompanied by Israeli soldiers.
Abdalmenem, Aqtash’s brother, stated that the settlers began throwing rocks, and in response, they retaliated. However, the settlers immediately resorted to live ammunition instead of non-lethal measures. Abdalmenem described how the Israeli military typically protects settlers and surrounds them, allowing them to carry out attacks without interference. This was also the case when Sameh was killed.
When CNN inquired about Aqtash’s killing, the IDF referred the questions to the Israel Border Police. A spokesperson for the Israel Border Police confirmed that an investigation had been launched following media reports of Aqtash being killed in settler violence. However, no settler has been arrested or charged in connection with his death.
The Consequences
Since the swearing-in of Israel’s new government under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in late December, characterized as the most right-wing and religiously conservative in the nation’s history, there has been a surge in violence between settlers and Palestinians in the West Bank.
According to the United Nations, as of mid-May this year, there have been 421 settler-related incidents in the occupied territory, resulting in the deaths of eight Palestinians, a nearly threefold increase compared to last year. Additionally, hundreds of people have been injured, and significant property damage has occurred. During the same period, Israeli forces have killed over 100 Palestinians in the West Bank. The IDF claims that most of them were terror suspects or individuals engaging in violent encounters with its troops during raids, but has not provided supporting evidence.
Mourners bear the bodies of Palestinians slain during an Israeli forces raid in Nablus, as they gather for their funeral on February 22
According to the United Nations, attacks by Palestinians have resulted in the deaths of 14 Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank this year.
Authorities reported that on March 6, two Jewish settlers assaulted a Palestinian man and his family in their car using stones and an axe. The settlers were subsequently charged with terrorism. On the same evening, a video circulated on social media and verified by CNN showed Israeli soldiers and settlers celebrating Purim, a Jewish holiday, in Huwara, despite their role as peacekeepers.
On March 19, a Palestinian gunman opened fire on an Israeli couple at a junction in Huwara, injuring one man who also held US citizenship. Another shooting attack occurred on March 25, targeting two IDF soldiers. The following day, Sukkot, a far-right Knesset member, marched through the Palestinian town waving an Israeli flag and calling for roadblocks and business closures in Huwara.
In a video shared on Twitter, Sukkot stated, “We will continue to live here, and there will be a lot more Jews who will come to the village of Huwara and settle here. The attacks, stone-throwing, Molotov cocktails, and incitement won’t help. We’re here to stay.”
On March 26, Knesset Member Tzvi Sukkot, accompanied by members of the Samaria regional council representing settlers in the northern West Bank, established an ad hoc office in the town
Sukkot has faced multiple arrests on suspicion of organizing attacks against Palestinians, including an alleged mosque arson near Huwara in 2010. He denied the accusation and was subsequently released.
According to eyewitnesses in Huwara, several attacks instigated by settlers occurred throughout the town following Sukkot’s statements. On the evening of March 27, prior to Palestinian residents breaking their Ramadan fast at home, videos documented Israeli military forces standing near their vehicles while settlers harassed them and threw rocks at their cars on an otherwise peaceful street. The footage, initially geolocated by Gabòr Friesen and Chris Osieck, Dutch open-source researchers, and confirmed by CNN, also revealed instances of Israeli forces detaining residents, sometimes resorting to violent beatings.
Residents report that Israeli soldiers are now conducting continuous patrols in the town, intermittently closing roads and compelling shops to close. Despite the IDF’s claim of enforcing security in Huwara, residents feel as though they are being subjected to punitive measures that adversely impact their livelihoods.
Israeli security forces conduct patrols in Huwara on March 26
The Israeli soldier expressed concern about the ongoing situation in Huwara, stating that the damage caused could have lasting repercussions for both Jews and Palestinians.
An IDF spokesperson informed CNN that additional forces were deployed to Huwara following the February 26 riot, and soldiers continue to be present in the town to reinforce security. Regarding attacks against Palestinians, they stated that Israeli soldiers are obligated to intervene and prevent violations, including detaining or arresting suspects until the arrival of police.
Residents of Huwara are still grappling with the aftermath of the events on February 26, experiencing trauma and anxiety due to perceived inaction by the IDF and fears of further settler violence.
A man assesses the destruction caused to a restaurant in Huwara allegedly as a result of an attack by Israeli settlers on March 28
Dumaidi expressed his frustration, stating, “My house has been targeted four times, and I can assure you that Israeli officers are always present with the settlers. They allow them to act freely.”
In a plea for humanity, he added, “Even on a humanitarian level, they have the mentality of ‘let them die.’ What remains of our dignity? What is left after everything is burned? There is nothing left.”
Contributions to this report were made by CNN’s Richard Allen Greene and Hadas Gold in Jerusalem, Zeena Saifi in Abu Dhabi, and Barbara Arvanitidis in London. The report was edited and produced by Eliza Mackintosh, with photo editing by Sarah Tilotta, video editing by Max Burnell, and graphics by Renée Rigdon and Henrik Pettersson.
