A resident of the village of Urif, from which the two terrorists who murdered four Israelis left near the community of Ali, told Israel Hayom on Wednesday that there is hostility towards Israel and Judea and Samaria among young people in the village, and that this reflects what the younger Palestinian generation in general is going through. However, the source claims that not all residents of the village support the attack. "People here are surprised by what happened and don't want the village to become one that is identified with problems and violence."
A resident of the village describes the two terrorists, Muhannad Shehadeh and Khaled Sabah, as "strange types" who did not rub shoulders socially and did not come into contact with the villagers. "They would gather within themselves, not friendly people. They loved religion, both had been detained in Israel before.
"Khaled is married, he comes from a financially weak family. Three or four years ago he was injured in clashes and I remember he was in hospital and they wanted to amputate his leg. Muhannad also comes from a weak background; his father works in Israel as a laborer. He studied physical education at Anjah University, but I never saw him play sports in the village," the resident told Israel Hayom.
Documentation from the murderous attack in Binyamin
The two terrorists who carried out the attack on Ali. Muhannad Shehadeh and Khaled Mustafa Abdel Latif, photo: Arab Networks
The village of 'Urif, south of Nablus, is home to about 4,200 residents from three different clans from the Shehadeh, Sabah and Safdi families. "I have six children, I don't imagine any of them would be able to do something like this," said a source who lives in the village and belongs to the Shehadeh clan, but explains that he has no close family ties to terrorist Muhannad Shehadeh. He candidly noted that "even those who do not express support for the attack do express solidarity, for example, with Muhannad's mother and with the fact that the family home is expected to be demolished. People are also worried that it will harm their livelihoods, and today trading houses have been shut down."
According to him, the more collective punishment is inflicted on the population, the greater the hostility and the chances of more violence. This morning, Defense Minister Yoav Galant announced that dozens of entry and work permits in Israel would be revoked for the families of the two terrorists.
The resident noted that the village is now afraid of revenge by settlers in response to the Ali attack. The village of 'Urif is a regular focus for clashes between the populations, including stone throwing and setting fire to land and vehicles. Following the attack, acts of vandalism, damage to homes and arson of Palestinian property were carried out in many locations in the villages of Luban Ashrakia, Huwara, and Turmusaya.
The IDF mapped the homes of the terrorists who carried out yesterday's attack near Ali // Photo: IDF Spokesperson
"People in the village don't sleep at night worrying about what might happen, we could be next. Residents are under great stress and on alert. We expect a price tag in our village," said the resident. "As a high school teacher in the village, we tried to hold conversations with the students and explain to them that there was no point in clashes and stone throwing, and that they wouldn't get into problems. But there are those who don't listen, certainly when they leave school and do whatever they want. There is also Hamas incitement," he said.
Shehadeh and Sabah belonged to the Hamas student cell at Anjah University in Nablus. A few weeks ago, Hamas' list, Al-Qutla al-Islamiyya, won the most votes in the elections held for the university's student union, beating Fatah's list. Hamas looked at the results with satisfaction and saw it as another sign of the organization's growing strength in Judea and Samaria. Young people in the village were seen last night at the funeral procession of Khaled Sabah, whose body was draped in the green Hamas flag, praising him and shouting slogans of revenge against Israel.
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