Teddy Bear Found Near Bloodstains After Deadly Hamas Attack in Israel Sparks Alarm in West Bank

On October 7th, a Hamas attack on the Kibbutz Holit in Israel left 1,400 people dead, according to Israeli authorities. In the aftermath of the attack, a teddy bear was left on the ground near bloodstains, where Israeli Defense Forces say two grandparents held a bomb shelter door closed to protect their grandchildren.

In the West Bank, Mohamad Mattar, a 46-year-old social and humanitarian worker for the Palestinian Authority, has reported a particularly alarming incident. Mattar claims that he and two other Palestinians were detained by a group of Israeli troops and settlers wearing military uniforms and taken to a sheep barn near their village of Wadi Al-Seeq, east of Ramallah.

Mattar alleges that one of the unidentified attackers tried to sexually assault him with a stick. He and his companions were able to escape and run away, but not before Mattar sustained injuries to his leg.

The incident has caused alarm among Palestinians in the West Bank, as reports of violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinian residents continue to mount. More than three weeks after the Hamas attack, just over half of the dead have been laid to rest, and more than four-fifths have been identified.

The incident reported by Mattar is a reminder of the ongoing violence and tension between Israelis and Palestinians in the region. The Palestinian Authority has called for an investigation into the incident, and for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.