Palestinian construction worker beaten to death while working in Israeli settlement

Ramallah, December 17 (RHC)-- A Palestinian man has died after being severely beaten by a group of extremist Jewish settlers at a settlement in the central part of the occupied West Bank, amid acts of vandalism and violence against Palestinians as well as Muslim holy sites.

Palestinian news outlets reported that the man, identified as 37-year-old Abdel-Fattah Obeyyat, was found dead at Har Gilo settlement, located two kilometers (1.24 miles) west of Bethlehem, on Wednesday night.

Fathi Obeyyat, the Palestinian man’s brother, said the victim was working in the field of construction along with their another brother and their second cousin in an apartment inside the settlement.  “My brother was alone after Abdel-Fattah finished his work and waved goodbye. They later tried to contact him, but he did not answer his phone. After several attempts, they finally informed the Israeli police who did not know anything about him.

“We, therefore, had no option but to return to the settlement and his workplace. We were shocked to find Abdel-Fattah tied and bludgeoned to death with a noose around his neck,” Fathi said.  The Palestinian man added that Israeli police forces and ambulances then showed up, and interrogated family members at the scene.

“My brother's body was taken away, and it is still being held. The Israeli police are refusing to clarify the circumstances surrounding the death and those responsible for the criminal act, especially as a number of security cameras are installed in the area,” he noted.

More than 600,000 Israelis live in over 230 settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East Jerusalem al-Quds.  All Israeli settlements are illegal under international law.