After a week of settlers blocking Palestinian home, children escorted to school by IDF

Yousef Shanaran, a resident of Wadi Rahim in the southern West Bank’s South Hebron Hills, whose home has been blocked by settlers for a week, tells The Times of Israel that his four children, aged 8 to 13, went to school this morning for the first time since the blockade began, after their departure was coordinated with the military and they were escorted by soldiers.

Shanaran himself was hospitalized in recent days due to a medical condition and returned home this morning, also after coordinating his return with the military.

On Monday last week, settlers established an outpost directly outside the entrance to Shanaran’s home in Area B of the West Bank, apparently in an attempt to drive the family out and take over the property.

Several days later, the IDF set up a military position nearby, and both soldiers and settlers are now stationed at the site.

According to footage from the scene, the IDF has dismantled both the outpost outside Shanaran’s home and an older outpost established a little farther away several times over the past week, but the settlers have rebuilt them each time.

Shanaran said he is afraid to leave his home. In recent days, he left for the hospital accompanied by soldiers, while his wife and children remained behind, unable to get out of the house.

Over the past several days, acquaintances of Shanaran have brought food to the family, apparently also in coordination with the military.