• Violation: Colonists’ attacks on shepherds and a herd of livestock.
• Violation date: 03/02/2022.
• Location: Zanouta – Al Dhahiriya  town/ Hebron Governorate.
• Perpetrators: Israeli  colonists.
• Affected party: citizen Rebhi Al-Battat and his sons.

 

The violation details:

A group of colonists attacked flocks in Khirbet Zanouta of the Al Dhahirah Municipality in the south of Hebron Governorate, killing a number of them and injuring others.

At noon on Thursday, February 3, 2022, the citizen Ribhi Ahmed Al-Battat was tending his flock of sheep near his village Zanouta. He had his three sons with him, and he was surprised by the arrival of four young colonists coming from the colonial outpost to the east of the village.

The colonists brought  their dog with them and carried sticks and batons, and they managed to expel the shepherds out of their land. They also tried to steal the herd and take it to the colonial outpost from which they came, but the people’s intervention prevented this to happen.

According to eyewitnesses, the colonists released their dog at the herd, threw stones at the livestock, and hit them with sticks and batons, injuring a number of them and many others.

Pictures 1+2: deaths and injuries caused to the herd
as a result of the colonists’ attack-  Source:  Zanouta Village Council.

The head of the Zanouta village council stated that the shepherds phoned  the occupation police to tell them about the aggression which took place whilst Israeli soldiers were watching .  However,  when the occupation police arrived at the site, the colonists claimed that the shepherds had entered lands classified as “state lands”, so the occupation police arrested the following three shepherds :

1- Shadi Rebhi Al-Battat, 34 years old.

2- Salem Rebhi Al-Battat, 35 years old.

3- Musab Ribhi Al-Battat, 22 years old.

The head of the village council stated that the three shepherds are still under arrest until the time of writing this report under the charges of ” illegally entering lands classified as state lands and attempting to attack the colonists.”

After the occupation police arrested the three young men, the herd returned to its barn with the help of the people, and when they inspected them, they counted the following damage, which is documented by a vet’s report:

1- The death of 3 heads after suffering a laceration in the viscera.

2- Abortion of a 10  pregnant heads.

3- Fractures and bruises in the bodies of a number of heads.

4- Emaciation and weakness in 8 heads.

5- Fractures and bruises in the body of the shepherds’ dog

Picture 3: A copy of  vet’s report of damage caused to the herd.

 

It should be noted that about a year ago the colonists, who own a herd of livestock, established a colonial outpost to the east of the village of Zanouta, and since then, have begun  to attack Palestinian shepherds and farmers to prevent them from accessing their lands in order to use it as pasture for their livestock.

Photos 4+5: view of the colonial outpost opposite the village of Zanouta