RAMALLAH / West Bank / PNN – Report by Wissal Abu Alia 

For two days, the village of al-Mughayir, northeast of Ramallah, has endured what residents describe as one of the most intense Israeli raids in years, with hundreds of troops and bulldozers flooding the area in what Palestinians say goes beyond a military incursion and aims to break the village’s long-standing spirit of resistance.

Local sources said Israeli forces, backed by around ten military bulldozers including D9 armoured diggers, carved new roads to link nearby settler outposts built on Palestinian land. Residents view the move as a step toward consolidating a wider settlement presence.

The operation also saw the uprooting of large swathes of olive trees, which villagers called a direct assault not only on their livelihoods but also on their identity and memory. “The number of soldiers here today exceeded the number of residents,” one villager said, describing the scale of the raid.

Residents shared videos showing troops smashing cars and private property, which they said highlighted the violence often carried out by soldiers who are themselves settlers. Witnesses warned such actions raise the risk of further attacks and called on Palestinian and international bodies to step in.

Ameen Abu Alia, head of the al-Mughayir village council, told PNN that Israeli forces arrested seven residents, including three brothers of Hamdan Abu Alia, a local man killed by Israeli fire days earlier, and his 12-year-old nephew. Troops stormed the family home, beat its members, and left several with fractures, he said.

The family was also detained for hours in what villagers described as an act of collective punishment. Ambulances and journalists were barred from entering, leaving events largely hidden from outside scrutiny.

Abu Alia said the assault turned into a full blockade, with at least 300 people prevented from returning to the village and humanitarian access, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, cut off. He noted that Israel now effectively controls 42,000 of the village’s 43,000 dunums of land, leaving just 980 dunums – including roads – accessible to residents.

The atmosphere of fear, villagers say, was deepened by threats from Israeli officials. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir issued direct threats on social media to storm the village and expel its residents, vowing “revenge.” The council head said he also received abusive phone calls including death threats aimed at terrorising villagers into submission.

Since October 7, 2023, al-Mughayir has paid a heavy price: seven residents killed – two by armed settlers – more than 250 arrests, some 70 still in detention, and 200 wounded, including eight left with permanent disabilities.

Analysts warn al-Mughayir could be a testing ground for forced displacement in the West Bank, with Israel seeking to use it as an example to other villages. But residents insist their will remains unbroken. “This is a war on both land and people,” said one villager. “We are the last line of defence, and we will not surrender.”