Israeli settlers beat a Palestinian man in the occupied West Bank, stripped him naked, tied his arms and legs and then zip-tied his penis, he, his family members and another witness said on Wednesday.
“I thought I was going to die,” the man, Suhaib Abualkebash, a 29-year-old shepherd, told The New York Times. “I thought this was the end.”
Several family members and an American woman corroborated details of Mr. Abualkebash’s account, saying they witnessed the sexual assault on Friday by several men among a group of more than 20 settlers who marauded though a Bedouin encampment. The relatives and the American said they had been beaten, too, adding that the assailants had kicked and slapped children during the attack. Family members also shared copies of reports they had filed to the Israeli police.
Israeli settlers have been waging an escalating campaign of violence and land theft against Palestinians across much of the West Bank. It has intensified as Israeli attitudes toward Palestinians have hardened since the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and the war that ensued. The attacks have increased while international attention has been focused on the U.S.-Israel war with Iran. Settlers have killed seven West Bank Palestinians so far this year, six of them since the war began on Feb. 28. » | David M. Halbfinger and Fatima AbdulKarim | Reporting from Khirbet Humsa in the West Bank | Wednesday, March 18, 2026
This is truly a heart-rending story. Is there no limit or end to the cruelty in this world? Are people now totally bereft of compassion and feeling for others?
Many years ago, when I worked in the Middle East, I had many Palestinian colleagues. I have very fond memories of them, too. In work, I spent a lot of time with them. They were gentle and kind colleagues, always willing to help when help was needed. Even on weekends if, for example I needed help moving house. And they would never take money for the assistance they offered. In fact, they couldn’t do enough for you. I shall never forget their kindness toward me. So, when I read of Palestinians suffering like this, it touches and moves me greatly. — © Mark Alexander
