Key facts
- Organized groups of armed Israeli settlers are conducting regular 'hikes' through the West Bank village of Qira.
- These settlers are inspecting Palestinian land, naming sites with Hebrew names, and claiming biblical connections.
- Residents of Qira view these activities as a prelude to land confiscation and territorial expansion.
- A similar settler 'hike' in the village of Tell led to four Palestinian deaths and settlers burning homes.
Organized groups of armed Israeli settlers have recently begun conducting regular, unauthorized 'exploratory hikes' through the West Bank village of Qira. Residents of the small village, located in the Salfit governorate, view these excursions as a scouting campaign and a precursor to territorial expansion and land confiscation. The settlers have been observed wandering past homes, inspecting ancient sites, and assigning them Hebrew names while claiming biblical connections.
The founder of one such hiking group stated, "Wherever the hiker's foot treads, there the border will pass," indicating a deliberate strategy of territorial encroachment. This pattern of settler activity has previously led to violence. In July, four Palestinians were killed in the village of Tell, near Nablus, following a confrontation sparked by a settler 'hike.' Subsequently, rampaging settlers reportedly burned homes in nearby villages.