Newly arrived family in West Bank Christian town says they had to flee due to settler harassment

A Palestinian man says his family was forced to flee their home on the outskirts of the central West Bank Christian-majority village of Taybeh, just seven days after they moved in, due to attacks and intimidation from Israeli settlers.

Bashir Na’im Kuna tells Al Jazeera that the settlers have since raided the home and stolen belongings, including security cameras, in addition to cutting electricity and internet lines. Footage taken from afar earlier today shows settlers roaming around the area of the home freely.

The house is located in Area A of the West Bank, which is supposed to be under the full control of the Palestinian Authority. But under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government, settlers have moved to expand takeovers of Palestinian lands beyond Area C which is under full Israeli control and which includes nearly all Israeli settlements.

Israeli settler terrorists expelled Palestinian Christian Bashir Na’im Kuna from his home in Taybeh, Palestine’s last fully Christian village in the West Bank, after relentless attacks forced him to flee.

Kuna spent seven years and more than 1 million shekels ($270,000) building… pic.twitter.com/XSxwfm4CRe

— Ihab Hassan (@IhabHassane) August 31, 2026

Kuna says he began building his home in 2019 and spent over NIS 1 million ($333,580) on the project.

Immediately after his family moved in last week, he says settlers began paying visits to threaten them.

In one incident, the settlers beat him and his son at the entrance of the house, Kuna tells Al Jazeera.

The settlers also brought their livestock to the yard of the home, grazing the animals through Kuna’s land in what has become a common tactic of intimidation used to coax Palestinians living near newly established illegal Israeli outposts to flee their homes.

The settlers also destroyed the crops that he planted while the house was being built, he says.

Kuna says he called Israeli authorities for assistance, but that the settlers just fled when police arrived and returned once officers left.

“We have no protection, not from anyone,” Kuna tells Al Jazeera.