In the West Bank village of Asasa, Mohammed Asasa had just buried his 80-year-old father Hussein when he discovered settlers digging up the grave. The settlers, from the recently reestablished Sa-Nur settlement, demanded the body be removed, claiming the burial site was too close to their settlement. Armed with automatic rifles, they warned the family: "Either you exhume the body or we'll do it."
Mohammed and his brothers were forced to dig up the grave themselves and carry their father's shrouded body to safety. The Israeli army later confiscated the settlers' tools, but the family accused soldiers of standing by.
The UN human rights office condemned the incident as "appalling and emblematic of the dehumanization of Palestinians." The IDF said it condemns any act that harms public order and the dignity of the living and deceased.
While all settlements on Palestinian land are illegal under international law, the Netanyahu government recently allowed Sa-Nur to be reoccupied. Settler attacks have escalated, with 13 Palestinians killed in recent months.
Hussein Asasa was ultimately laid to rest in a neighboring village cemetery, free from the torment that now defines life under settler expansion.