'Israeli' settlers abduct two Palestinian children and tie them to tree near Nablus

Two Palestinian children were kidnapped by 'Israeli' settlers on Saturday in the northern occupied West Bank, in a disturbing incident that has sparked outrage among local residents.

The children — 13-year-old Maryam and her three-year-old brother Ahmed — were playing near their home on the outskirts of Beit Furik, east of Nablus, when settlers from a newly built outpost approached and abducted them. According to eyewitnesses, the settlers took the children to a remote area and tied them to an olive tree.

Family members and neighbors chased after the settlers and managed to rescue the children. They found them unconscious and visibly traumatized. Although the children did not suffer physical injuries, their family says they remain in severe psychological distress. 

Mohammed Hanani, the children’s uncle said that this was the first time settlers had kidnapped children in their village, although the community has faced increasing violence since the establishment of a nearby illegal outpost following the start of the war on Gaza. In recent months, settlers have torched vehicles, set fire to crops, and attacked homes with stones.

Residents say the 'Israeli' army was absent throughout the incident, a pattern that reflects the broader impunity settlers enjoy across the West Bank. While Palestinian communities regularly face raids and arrests, 'Israeli' forces often stand by or respond slowly when settlers carry out attacks.

Rights groups warn that settler violence, encouraged by Israeli Occupation’s far-right government, is escalating with the aim of forcibly displacing Palestinians and seizing more land. The government has been accused of supplying settlers with weapons and funding for illegal outposts, fueling attacks on Palestinian villages.

The kidnapping has triggered renewed fears for the safety of children in the West Bank, where incidents of settler harassment and assault are becoming alarmingly frequent.