Palestinian Family Ordered by Settlers to Exhume Father's Grave in West Bank
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On Friday, a Palestinian family in the West Bank village of Asasa was forced by armed settlers to exhume their father's grave, which had been coordinated with the Israeli military. The Israeli military stated it confiscated tools from the settlers and protected the family during relocation to another cemetery. The incident occurred near the recently reauthorized Sa-Nur settlement.
Facts First
- Settlers ordered a family to exhume their father's grave in Asasa village, threatening to use a bulldozer.
- The burial had been coordinated with the Israeli military, which later confiscated settlers' digging tools.
- The family relocated the remains to another cemetery under military escort.
- The incident occurred near the Sa-Nur settlement, which was reauthorized by the Israeli government last year.
- A separate fatal shooting of a Palestinian man occurred near a UNRWA school in Kufr Aqab on Monday.
What Happened
On Friday, May 8, 2026, armed men from the Sa-Nur settlement ordered Mohammed Asasa's family to exhume the grave of his father from a cemetery in the northern West Bank. The family had coordinated the burial with the Israeli military. The settlers claimed the land belonged to the settlement, which is located less than half a kilometer from the cemetery. The family exhumed the remains themselves after settlers threatened to use a bulldozer. Video footage showed the family carrying the body with military escorts while settlers were present uphill. The Israeli military stated forces responded to reports of clashes and protected the family during relocation to a nearby cemetery, but stated it did not force the family to move the remains.
Separately, on Monday, May 11, 2026, Ayman Al-Hashlamoun, a 30-year-old Palestinian man, was shot and killed by Israeli forces near a United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) school in Kufr Aqab. Israeli police stated the man was armed with a military-style rifle and was shot after exiting his car. The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the deceased and stated his body remains in Israeli custody.
Why this Matters to You
This incident highlights a pattern of tension and violence in the West Bank that could affect regional stability. For Palestinians living in areas near settlements, access to land and even burial sites may be contested, potentially disrupting long-standing community practices and family traditions. The reported increase in settler attacks since October 2023 suggests a volatile environment where such confrontations could become more frequent. The separate fatal shooting indicates ongoing security operations that may lead to further casualties.
What's Next
The Israeli military's statement condemning actions that violate dignity suggests there may be internal reviews of the incident, though its specific response to why soldiers did not intervene remains unanswered. The reestablishment of the Sa-Nur settlement signals continued government support for settlement activity, which could lead to more land disputes. The family's reported requirement to obtain permits for cemetery access points to an ongoing bureaucratic control over Palestinian movement and burial rights. The body of Ayman Al-Hashlamoun remaining in Israeli custody may lead to further disputes over repatriation.