Israeli forces have occupied the family home of a Palestinian-American man in the occupied West Bank, turning the property into a military position and preventing him from entering when he returned from the United States.
Naji Abu Awad, who lives in Texas, returned to his hometown of Turmus Ayya on Thursday, 12 November, carrying an American flag and his luggage. However, upon reaching his family home, he found Israeli soldiers stationed inside the property.
According to Anadolu Agency, Israeli forces had entered the house on 25 October after opening its gate. Abu Awad said he initially communicated with the soldiers through the property’s surveillance cameras, explaining that his family lived in Texas and that his brother could open the door if the soldiers wanted to search the house.
He also asked the soldiers not to damage the property. However, the forces subsequently disabled the surveillance cameras and returned the following day, continuing to use the house as a military position.
When Abu Awad confronted the soldiers on Thursday, demanding an explanation for their presence and asking when they intended to leave, they reportedly told him that the area had been designated a military zone and that he was not permitted to remain there.
The soldiers also threatened to arrest him if he did not comply and presented a document written in Hebrew to justify their presence. Abu Awad disputed its legitimacy, saying it contained neither a court order nor authorization permitting the military to occupy his property.
Tear gas was also fired in the area during the confrontation, according to Anadolu.
Separately, Quds News Network reported that Israeli soldiers physically assaulted Abu Awad, members of his family and journalists covering the incident.
No official explanation for the occupation of the property or a timeline for the soldiers’ withdrawal had been reported.
Turmus Ayya is a Palestinian town northeast of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, known for its large community of Palestinian-Americans and families with relatives living in the United States.
