Shocking security footage has captured the moment dozens of masked Israeli settlers armed with sticks brutally beat a 67-year-old deaf Palestinian man in the occupied West Bank. The attack, which occurred on Thursday, 8 January 2026, at a plant nursery in the village of Deir Sharaf, left the elderly victim, Basim Saleh Yassin, hospitalised with serious injuries.
A Deafening Silence: The Attack on Basim Saleh Yassin
According to two witnesses from the family that owns the nursery, workers fled when they saw the group of settlers approaching. However, Basim Saleh Yassin, who is deaf, could not hear the warnings to escape. The video, published by the Associated Press, shows men dressed mostly in black descending on the nursery. Mr Yassin is seen attempting to run before he falls to the ground.
The footage then shows a sustained and vicious assault. One settler kicks Mr Yassin as he kneels, while another repeatedly strikes him with what appears to be a stick. As the attackers begin to leave, two run past and kick him again, with one delivering a kick directly to his head. Two men then return to beat the prone victim with sticks until he collapses back to the earth.
Aftermath and Rising Tensions in the West Bank
The witnesses confirmed that Mr Yassin was taken to hospital with broken bones in his hand and injuries to his face, chest, and back. Furthermore, four cars at the nursery were set alight and destroyed. The incident is part of a disturbing pattern of escalating Israeli settler violence in the West Bank. Such attacks intensified during the olive harvest season in October and early November and have remained prevalent.
In response to the incident, the Israeli army stated it dispatched soldiers to the nearby Shavei Shomron junction after reports of dozens of masked Israelis vandalising property. The military confirmed the assailants set fire to Palestinian vehicles and assaulted a Palestinian in one of them, leading to two Palestinians being evacuated for medical treatment. Three suspects were apprehended and transferred for police questioning. The army's statement concluded, "Security forces condemn violence of any kind."
Political Condemnation and a Wider Problem
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously referred to perpetrators of such violence as "a handful of extremists" and urged law enforcement to pursue them. However, rights groups and Palestinians argue the issue is systemic, with attacks becoming daily occurrences across the West Bank. This latest assault in Deir Sharaf underscores the severe and ongoing tensions in the occupied territory, where vulnerable individuals are often caught in the crossfire of conflict.
