HEBRON, February 9, 2016 (WAFA) – Israeli settlers Tuesday physically assaulted and injured a Palestinian shepherd in Masafer Yatta, a Bedouin area south of Hebron, while he was grazing sheep, according to local sources.

Coordinator of the Anti-Settlement Commission in Hebron, Rateb Jabour, told WAFA that Israeli settlers from a nearby illegal settlement physically assaulted 65-year-old Khader Hamad, a local Palestinian shepherd, while he was grazing sheep in the area. Hamad sustained bruises across his body due to the attack.

Masafer Yatta, a collection of almost 19 hamlets, relies heavily on animal husbandry as the main source of livelihood. Located in Area C of the West Bank under full Israeli administrative and military control, the area has been subject to repeated Israeli violations by settlers and army soldiers targeting their main source of living, livestock.

The area relies heavily on animal husbandry as the main source of livelihood, and has been a frequent target for recurrent Israeli assaults, including demolitions of animal barns, homes and residential structures.

It is located in Area C of the West Bank, under tight Israeli control.

M.N