Israeli occupiers' attacks escalate in West Bank Christian town

'We will either live here with dignity or die on our land, and we will not leave,' says Palestinian resident

Palestinian residents of the predominantly Christian town of Taibe in the central occupied West Bank face escalating attacks by Israeli occupiers, turning daily life into a constant source of fear, residents and local officials said. The town, east of Ramallah, is no longer the quiet place once associated with safety, the residents said. Occupiers have intensified attacks, including grazing livestock on Palestinian land, in a “growing pressure and attempts to force them out.” Shepherds now move freely across land once planted with wheat, almonds and grapes, while landowners are prevented from accessing their property amid repeated attacks and a lack of protection, the residents said. Despite the threats, residents remain committed to their land. The sight of occupiers’ livestock grazing on their fields has become a daily reflection of “efforts to impose control.” The Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine warned in early February that settler attacks threaten the Christian presence in the territory and called for action to protect Palestinian civilians, including Christians. In a message to churches worldwide, the committee warned that the attacks “threaten their historic presence in their land.” ‘Everyone is targeted’ Khaldoun Hanna, acting mayor of Taibe, said the town of about 1,500 residents, all Christians, faces a “serious escalation” by Israeli occupiers. “Israeli attacks do not distinguish between Muslim and Christian. Everyone is targeted, and there is a green light from the far-right for occupiers to do whatever they want,” Hanna said. He added: “We have about 5,000 dunams that we have been unable to access for four years, in addition to about 6,000 dunams of open agricultural land that occupiers now exploit to graze their cattle.” Hanna said: “Occupiers are stealing Palestinian property and attacking homes and vehicles.” He added: “Even economic facilities such as factories and companies west of the town have been seized by occupiers, who have prevented their owners from accessing them.” On the motives behind the attacks, Hanna said: “They want to empty the land of its people, but this will not happen.” “We will either live here with dignity or die on our land, and we will not leave,” he added.  ‘The land is precious to us’ Suleiman Khoury, a Christian resident and former mayor, lamented repeated attacks on his property, saying: “Since Oct. 7, 2023, we have been prevented from harvesting olives, and we were beaten and had our equipment stolen by occupiers.” He added: “Even my sons’ vehicle was stolen, and I have land planted with almond trees that I worked on for years, but occupiers uprooted the trees and moved them to an outpost.” “Days ago, they attacked my land again, broke the gates and grazed their sheep in the vineyard. Just a short while ago, they were there,” he said. Despite continued attacks, he emphasized his attachment to the land. “The land is precious to us. We worked on it and put in effort. If occupiers take it, we will have nothing left,” he said. Taibe is the only entirely Christian Palestinian town in the West Bank, though other areas have mixed religious populations. The town has historically been associated with safety; tradition holds that Jesus once sought refuge there. Residents say that character is now under threat. Recent attacks have included the burning of parts of the historic Church of St. George, assaults on homes and vehicles, and racist graffiti. About 750,000 Israeli occupiers live in hundreds of settlements across the occupied West Bank, including about 250,000 in East Jerusalem. Palestinians say occupiers carry out daily attacks aimed at forcibly displacing them. Since the war in Gaza began on Oct. 8, 2023, Israeli forces and occupiers have intensified operations across the West Bank, including arrests, killings, property destruction, home demolitions and displacement. Those attacks have killed at least 1,132 Palestinians and injured about 11,700, in addition to the detention of roughly 22,000 people, according to official Palestinian data.