Four settlers attack the Nawaj'ah family near the Susiya settlement

'Imran a-Nawaj'ah, farmer

I live about two kilometers south of the Susiya settlement. My family has a plot of about twenty dunam [almost five acres] near the settlement.

Today, 8 June 2008, around 5:00 P.M., I went with my children, Hamzeh, 10, and Bilal, 8, to graze our flock on the plot of another resident from the area. About ten minutes later, two settlers on a blue tractor pulled up. We usually see this tractor on the farm of a settler named Dalia, whose husband, Yair, was killed in the beginning of the intifada. [The farm, Yair Farm, is located next to the Susiya settlement.] The face of one of the settlers was covered with white cloth.

One of them told me in Hebrew to get off the land. I told him in Hebrew that it's Palestinian land and that we have a court order that allows to be on it [a court order issued in November 2006, prohibiting Israelis to enter the area]. He replied, 'If you're a real man, stay where you are,' and then they headed toward Dalia's house.

I told my children to go to the village and call our relatives to come in case the settlers return and attack us. After a short while, I saw a white car come from the direction of Dalia's farm and stop behind a hill. In the meantime, my uncle, Khalil, 61, his wife Tamam, 60, my wife Rabiha, 29, and my cousin Muna, 25, arrived. Muna brought a B'Tselem video camera with her.

About ten minutes later, we saw four settlers coming toward us. Their faces were covered with shirts. They were holding thick sticks, and one of them hit me on the head with his one. Then they hit me all over my body with the sticks. I got very dizzy and didn't know what was happening around me. When I recovered a bit, I saw the settlers beating my uncle all over his body. They broke the sticks on his body. I managed to throw some stones at them, and they ran away in the direction of the Susiya settlement. To be more precise, they ran toward where Dalia lives. After that, we realized that Tamam had been injured. Her hand and shoulder were bleeding. I didn't see who hit her.

My children went to the main road [to find help], and after about half an hour, they managed to stop an army Hummer jeep. The soldiers in the jeep didn't treat us, but waited for the police and ambulance to arrive. We were only treated when the army ambulance arrived with paramedics, about half an hour later.

The ambulance took Tamam to Soroka Hospital [in Israel]. Khalil and I waited on the road for a Red Crescent ambulance, which took us to the Government Hospital in Hebron. I'm still suffering from bruises all over my body, and from dizziness and fatigue.

'Imran Isma'il Salameh a-Nawaj'ah, 32, married and father to twelve, is a farmer and a resident of Khirbet Susiya in Hebron District. His testimony was given to 'Issa 'Imro at 'Aliyah Government Hospital in Hebron, on 8 June 2008.