Ramallah, May 8, 2025—Israeli settlers attacked young Palestinian children and tied them to an olive tree in the northern occupied West Bank in April.
Maryam Omar Rebhi Shehadeh, 10, her siblings, and two cousins were attacked by Israeli settlers around 5:30 p.m. on April 19 in the Al-Dhubat neighborhood of Beit Furik, a Palestinian town southeast of Nablus in the northern occupied West Bank, according to documentation collected by Defense for Children International - Palestine. Maryam was playing behind her home with the other children, located about 500 meters (1,640 feet) from the Itamar settlement wall, when an Israeli settler emerged from nearby olive trees. The settler covered Maryam’s mouth with one hand and grabbed her neck with the other, pulling her away. A second settler, armed with a knife, threatened Maryam’s cousins and threw stones at them, causing them to run away. Maryam’s three-year-old brother Ahmad tried to help her, following her as the settlers dragged her away. The settlers then dragged Maryam and Ahmad about 200 meters (656 feet) away and bound them to an olive tree with rope before driving away on a quad bike.
“Israeli settlers almost never face any consequences for attacking Palestinians, including children,” said Ayed Abu Eqtaish, accountability program director at DCIP. “Palestinian children like Maryam and Ahmad who grow up close to Israeli settlements are far more likely to face violence at the hands of Israeli settlers who act with complete impunity.”
“Five minutes later, my father, uncles, and villagers arrived to find us tied up,” Maryam told DCIP. “They quickly untied us and began searching for the settlers who had fled. We were taken home, but I was overwhelmed with fear from the kidnapping attempt, leaving me feeling insecure in our area. My younger brother Ahmad also showed signs of distress.”
Israeli settlers frequently carry out attacks against Palestinians, including children, across the occupied West Bank. These attacks take place in the context of Israel’s longstanding policy of settlement expansion and forced displacement of the Palestinian population, which violate international law and amount to war crimes.
Israel's settlement enterprises, illegally erected on stolen Palestinian land, are maintained not only by the state of Israel but also by multinational corporations and private businesses. The UN Human Rights Council has identified 112 companies complicit in settlement activities, including global brands such as Airbnb, Booking.com, JCB, and Caterpillar. These companies, as well as settler-run businesses like wineries and agricultural plantations, all profit from the theft of Palestinian land and continued violence against the Palestinian people, sustaining Israel’s illegal settlement enterprise.
The 2024 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) found that Israel’s settlement project constitutes a grave breach of international law, amounting to de facto annexation. The ICJ confirmed that all states are obligated to neither recognize, nor support Israel’s unlawful settlement regime and must cease all trade or assistance that contributes to its maintenance. Despite efforts by the EU and grassroots movements to label settlement goods, governments, particularly the United States, continue to enable this trade.
