An Israeli settler was filmed violently beating a dog owned by a Palestinian family in the occupied West Bank village of Atara, with footage showing the attacker striking the animal repeatedly on the head inside the owner’s yard.
The dog, Lucy, which the family had raised for about a year and a half, suffered serious injuries and was taken for treatment. She has since stabilised, according to Haaretz.
The Palestinian owner, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals, said the dog had been tied up for guarding and posed no threat. “She wasn’t loose, she didn’t attack him or bite him,” he told Haaretz. “He attacked a tied-up dog.”
The incident occurred near an outpost set up last summer on village land in Area B. Palestinian residents say ongoing settler harassment has forced several families to abandon homes near the site, even after a previous military closure order expired.
“Lucy was in a very miserable condition. There was severe bleeding from her eyes and her head was literally crushed,” a veterinarian told Haaretz. “She was almost unconscious. She couldn’t stand or move at all.”
