Incident Stirs Outrage in West Bank
In a deeply troubling incident, Israeli settlers forcibly exhumed the body of an elderly Palestinian man from a cemetery in the occupied West Bank on Friday. The incident occurred in Asasa village, located south of Jenin, where the deceased, Hussein Asasa, was buried.
UN Condemns ‘Despicable’ Act
The United Nations Human Rights Office for the occupied Palestinian territory has condemned this act as a “despicable” example of the increasing dehumanization of Palestinians in the region. A video taken during the incident shows the deceased’s relatives hurriedly retrieving his body, wrapped in a white shroud, amidst threats from armed settlers wielding spades and bulldozers.
Mohammed Asasa, son of the deceased, described the harrowing scene. “The settlers told us: ‘Either you take the dead body away right now or we’ll use a bulldozer to remove him from the grave and dump him for you,'” he recounted.
The Asasa family has historically buried their dead in this cemetery, maintaining this tradition for generations. The escalation in tensions followed the return of settlers to the area during a government decision last year allowing settlements that had been evacuated in 2005 to be reestablished. The settlers now inhabit Sa-Nur, a settlement located approximately 300 meters from the Asasa village cemetery.
Restrictions Complicate Burial Practices
In recent months, access to the cemetery has been heavily regulated. The Asasa family was informed that they would require a permit from the Israeli military to visit their relatives’ graves. In coordination with security forces, they obtained the necessary permissions for Hussein Asasa’s burial; he was about 85 years old at the time of his death.
Despite adhering to protocols, the family was afforded a mere 30 minutes for the burial. Mohammed noted that during the funeral, settlers shouted insults and protested, claiming that the grave was too close to their settlement.
Shortly after interring his father, the family received alarming news that settlers were tampering with Hussein’s grave. Rushing back, they were met with the shocking sight of settlers digging up the grave and reaching for his father’s body. Although Israeli soldiers were present during the disturbance, there were no efforts made to disperse the settlers.
The Israeli military later confirmed that soldiers confiscated digging tools from the settlers but described their role as maintaining stability. An official statement from the military condemned actions that undermine the dignity of the living and the deceased but did not clarify why they took no action to prevent the exhumation of Hussein Asasa.
Ajith Sunghay, head of the UN Human Rights Office for the region, criticized the Israeli military’s apparent failure to fulfill its obligation to protect Palestinians under international law. He condemned the increasing trend of settlers’ aggression toward Palestinian communities, citing a noticeable rise in violent encounters since the onset of renewed hostilities in October 2023.
The response from the international community has been adamant. Sunghay pointed out that instances of violence are often met with inaction or support from the Israeli military toward the settlers. Mohammed Asasa expressed the family’s helplessness in the face of aggression, detailing how they were coerced into removing his father’s body against their will.
Following the distressing incident, Hussein Asasa was eventually laid to rest in a cemetery in a nearby town, a relocation that underscores the ongoing struggles faced by Palestinians in the occupied territories. The fallout from this incident emphasizes a growing clamor for accountability and justice amid escalating tensions in the region.
Source reference: Full report
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