On September 28, 2025, Israeli settlers attacked Khillet al-Sidra Bedouin community near Makhmas in northeast Jerusalem and blocked their only access road and severed electricity lines, leaving residents without power. This attack is part of an escalation in settler violence targeting Palestinian communities in Area C under Israeli military and civil control.
Background
The Khillet al-Sidra community, predominantly composed of Bedouin families, has come under increased pressure from Israeli settlers and authorities. According to the Wall and Settlement Commission, settler attacks have forced over 30 communities containing 323 families out of Khillet al-Sidra since 2025 due to destruction of homes, agricultural lands, infrastructure as well as destruction to houses by Israeli settlers; 38% of which target Bedouin communities within Jordan Valley region located east of occupied West Bank.
Recent Developments
On September 28, Israeli settlers attacked Khillet al-Sidra as part of their aggressive actions, blocking access and cutting power lines as well as threatening residents with violence if they did not vacate the area. Such tactics are frequently employed to intimidate Palestinian communities while expanding Israeli settlements.
Responding to these ongoing threats, many Bedouin families have been forced to leave their ancestral lands. One such tribe, Mleihat Tribe from Jordan Valley for 40 years was recently forced out due to settler violence like theft, vandalism and assault – this relocation process being described by community members as the new Nakba or exodus from Palestine that occurred after 1948.
Broader Context
Israeli policies in Area C of the West Bank have come under criticism for facilitating settler violence and dispossessing Palestinian communities, including through demolitions of homes and infrastructure, movement restrictions, and the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements deemed illegal under international law. Human rights organizations have condemned such actions as part of a deliberate plan to alter demographic composition within this region in order to undermine future Palestine states’ viability.
International Response
The international community has voiced deep alarm over escalating violence and displacement in the West Bank. The UN, human rights organizations, and others have demanded an immediate end to settler attacks and demolition of Palestinian homes by Israel as part of their obligations under international law, specifically the Fourth Geneva Convention which prohibits forcible transfers or destruction of protected populations or their properties.
Conclusion
Khillet al-Sidra serves as a reminder of the ongoing hardships endured by Palestinian Bedouin communities in the West Bank, in spite of international condemnation of settler violence which continues to escalate, leading to further displacement and hardship for Palestinian families. Therefore, urgent steps are needed to safeguard these communities and uphold international law obligations on them.