Israeli settlers force Palestinian family to exhume and rebury their father | Israel-Palestine conflict News
UN Condemns Dangerous Actions by Settlers in Occupied West Bank
Published May 9, 2026
A Palestinian family in the occupied West Bank has found itself in distressing circumstances, compelled to exhume their deceased father’s body following threats from Israeli settlers, reportedly under military protection. The United Nations has characterized this incident as “appalling and emblematic of the dehumanization of Palestinians.”
Eighty-year-old Hussein Asasa, who passed away from natural causes, was buried shortly after his death on Friday in a cemetery located in Asasa village, near Jenin. His son, Mohammed, noted that the burial had been previously arranged with Israeli security forces, who issued the necessary permits.
However, shortly after the burial, settlers confronted the Asasa family, insisting that they excavate the body. The settlers claimed that Hussein’s grave was situated on land designated for an Israeli settlement. Under international law, such settlements are deemed illegal and not recognized as Israeli territory.
“They said the land was for settlement and that burial was not allowed,” Mohammed Asasa stated. He emphasized that the site was the village’s cemetery, not part of any settlement.
Facing threats of having a bulldozer used against them to unearth the body, the family felt compelled to comply. According to the Palestinian news agency Wafa, Israeli soldiers were present during this confrontation and also pressured the family to relocate the burial.
“We found that the settlers had already dug the grave and reached the body,” Mohammed Asasa said. “We continued digging and reburied him in another cemetery.”
The Israeli military has denied any involvement in instructing the family regarding the reburial. A spokesperson reported that soldiers were deployed to the area after receiving alerts about a confrontation involving settlers, asserting their role was to maintain order by confiscating digging tools from the settlers.
The UN Human Rights Office has condemned the actions taken against the Asasa family. Ajith Sunghay, head of the OHCHR’s Palestinian office, described the incident as a striking reflection of the ongoing dehumanization faced by Palestinians in the occupied territories, impacting all individuals, both living and deceased.
This incident comes amid an alarming rise in violence attributed to Israeli settlers since Israel intensified military operations against Palestinians in Gaza in October 2023. On the same day as the Asasa family’s ordeal, settlers reportedly committed multiple attacks throughout the West Bank, including an assault on a child and the setting of homes and vehicles on fire.
In February, Amnesty International cautioned that a lack of international accountability is enabling Israel’s illegal annexation of the occupied West Bank, territory critical for any prospective Palestinian state. The organization accused Israel of aggressively expanding its illegal settlements.
