Israeli settlers are driving Palestinian shepherds from their grazing lands

Article excerpt

Israeli settlers in the Jordan Valley are using violence and intimidation to force Palestinian shepherds off ancestral grazing lands, according to accounts from affected communities. The escalating attacks have compelled families to abandon villages they have occupied for generations, with some herds seized and homes destroyed. Residents describe a pattern of coordinated settler incursions that Israeli authorities have done little to prevent. The Jordan Valley, which comprises roughly a third of the West Bank, has become a flashpoint where Palestinian livestock herders face mounting pressure to leave. Rights groups document the displacement as part of a broader land-acquisition strategy.