Settlers, soldiers, and Israeli impunity in the West Bank

Kobar, Occupied West Bank — In the town of Kobar, northwest of Ramallah, a settler known to locals as “Ghazal” has been attacking Palestinian farmers, they allege, part of an ongoing Israeli pogrom in the West Bank targeting Palestinians.

Bassema Khader, 63, whose family owns a farm in the al-Daak area, recognised him even when he arrived wearing a mask.

“A settler known as ‘Ghazal’ has been coming to the area for a long time, wearing an army uniform to intimidate people,” Khader told Al Jazeera. “But the residents weren’t afraid and continued to hold on to their land.”

“Almost every day, he would fire shots and steal sheep and solar panels. He would approach cars, knock on the doors, and demand the keys, claiming he was from the army and saying, ‘I am army’,” she said.

When Khader confronted him as he attempted to steal her sheep, he called for backup.

“He told me: ‘Wait, the [Israeli] Border Police are coming.’ And they did. With their help, he took all the sheep and brought them to the settlement,” Khader recounted.

“The goal is to steal, to frighten and terrorise people, to stop them from reaching their land, and ultimately to empty the al-Daak area,” she said.

For Palestinians, the stakes of this escalating violence are existential.