A Palestinian shepherd in the occupied West Bank, Qusai Abu al-Kebash, has said he was subjected to a brutal nighttime assault after dozens of masked Israeli settlers stormed into his small village last weekend.
He claims the attackers seized him, tied his hands and legs, stripped him and then subjected him to a degrading act in which his genitals were zip-tied before he was forced through the village while being beaten.
“They cut my belt off with a knife, as well as my boxers. They zip-tied my penis, tightened it and then dragged me all around the village,” Abu al-Kebash said, speaking to CNN in his first on-camera interview.
“It was very, very painful. … I thought they were going to kill me.”
He described the experience as deeply humiliating and terrifying, questioning why such treatment was inflicted on him and his community.
“I felt humiliated and insulted. Why would they do that to us? Why do they tie someone up like that?”
His account was supported by several relatives who were present during the incident, as well as two foreign activists from the International Solidarity Movement, who said they also witnessed him being sexually assaulted.
Following the alleged attack, Israeli authorities said they opened an investigation.
Police and Shin Bet internal security officials reportedly visited the village in the aftermath, and Abu al-Kebash later gave a formal statement at a police station.
He said the physical and psychological effects have persisted since the incident, including injuries and ongoing fear for his safety.
“I’m worried they’ll come back, that they’ll kill us in the middle of the night or burn our village like they said they would,” he said.
He added that other members of his family, including his wife, father, and cousins, were also reportedly bound, beaten, and threatened during the same raid.
The group also alleged that settlers targeted children and issued threats of sexual violence.
He said the attackers also poured water and dirt on victims and stole hundreds of sheep, which are central to the family’s livelihood.
Israeli authorities are still investigating the incident. In a joint statement, the Israel Police and IDF said they “strongly condemn incidents of violence and crime.”
Settlement activity and settler violence in the occupied West Bank have intensified in recent years, with Palestinians and rights groups alleging a growing pattern of intimidation and displacement, particularly amid the wider regional conflict.
International law regards Israeli settlements in the West Bank as illegal, a position disputed by Israel.
Despite the ongoing investigation, Abu al-Kebash said he felt compelled to speak publicly about what happened.
“I’m sharing my story in its entirety so people can see, so the world can see what’s happening. We haven’t done anything to them, and yet they came and beat us and did this to us,” he said. “That is why I have the courage to speak.”
