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Israeli Settlers Order Palestinian Family to Rebury Body Near West Bank Settlement
Settlers in the occupied West Bank began digging up a grave hours after a Palestinian family completed a funeral, claiming the burial site was too close to the settlement of Sha-Nur. The family removed the body and reburied it elsewhere. The IDF said it confiscated tools from the settlers, denied supporting the exhumation, and said it would investigate the funeral coordination.
May 9, 7:18 AM·2m read3 sources
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Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank forced a Palestinian family to exhume the body of a relative from a grave shortly after the funeral on Friday, according to Palestinian sources. The incident occurred near the settlement of Sha-Nur after settlers claimed the burial plot was too close to the settlement border and began digging it up themselves.
The family had buried the deceased, who was over 80 years old, in their family plot in a cemetery not far from the new settlement. The funeral ceremony had been approved by security forces earlier that evening. Settlers from a neighboring settlement arrived shortly afterward and started removing the body, prompting the family to intervene.
IDF forces arrived at the scene following reports of the conflict. Soldiers confiscated digging tools from the settlers and remained to prevent further disturbances. When the troops reached the cemetery, the body had already been taken out of the grave.
Palestinian accounts state that Israeli soldiers supported the settlers and ordered the family to relocate the body. A military source rejected that allegation, saying soldiers did not interfere and that the family ultimately decided on its own to move the remains to an alternative site in a nearby village.
The IDF confirmed in a statement that the settlers were the ones who initially removed the body. It added that it condemns any actions harming public order, the rule of law, and the dignity of individuals, including the deceased.
Dozens of Israeli settlers stormed various areas, setting cars on fire and attacking Palestinians, according to one report. Palestinian sources described the events as part of ongoing raids. The IDF said the issue of coordinating the funeral and managing the event at Sha-Nur would be investigated by commanders, with lessons to be drawn.
