Outposts, violence, impunity: The anatomy of Israeli settler land grabs

In Beita in the occupied West Bank, 57-year-old Musa Bani Shamsa and his 17-year-old son were attacked on October 14 by masked men carrying pistols, knives and sticks as they went to their olive grove. Bani Shamsa lost consciousness after at least 20 minutes of beatings and showed healing stab wounds; he said the attackers came from a nearby Israeli outpost, and his son was still in shock three days later. Since September 1, the UN has recorded more than 200 attacks on Palestinian farmers, exceeding the total for the previous olive-harvest season. Beatings, arson and livestock theft are adding to residents’ fear during the harvest.