On Monday 2 February, ten Israeli soldiers stormed a family’s home in Hammamat Al Maleh in the middle of the night, breaking down two doors and zip tying the hands of the three sons who were present.

This is the second time in two months the family’s home has been raided. In December the settlers and Israeli army beat multiple family members including two children and arrested four including two women.

This time they came by foot instead of military jeep and did not use the usual army communication devices. This has local Palestinians questioning whether it was an official army raid or a group of vigilant settlers.

They confiscated everyone’s phones and ID’s, including the passport of one of the international activists who were present, threw the IDs outside and hid the phones inside a wardrobe. They also searched the entire house and went through the international’s bags, dumping everything on the floor and breaking their belongings including a phone.

After violently searching four members of the family and zip-tying their wrists together, the Israeli soldiers forced them and one of the internationals to kneel on the floor facing the wall.

One of the mothers was unable to breathe and was very unwell. Instead of providing her with any assistance, the soldiers told her to shut up and pointed their guns whenever family members tried to talk to her or to each other.

This night raid has come during an escalation of settler harassment towards the community including trespassing, grazing their cows next to homes and the school, and physical violence.

On the same day the Israeli army raided the headteacher’s office of the school for the local children. The school is next to the house and the office is downstairs below the family’s home. Settlers and the army have attacked the school multiple times in the past.