A British activist was kidnapped by armed Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank before being held in a shed and subsequently handed over to Israeli police. The incident, which occurred in the Palestinian village of Umm al-Khair in Masafer Yatta, highlights a reported increase in violence and intimidation against foreign activists and observers in the area.
Finn Joughin, 22, was attempting to prevent settlers from dismantling a fence in the village when he was forcibly taken away by two settlers. Footage circulating online appears to show Joughin being grabbed by the arms and dragged away after attempting to prevent an Israeli child from passing through a wire fence. According to his lawyer, Inbar Shaked Vardi, armed settlers took him to a newly established outpost on land belonging to Umm al-Khair, where he was locked in a shed for approximately 30 minutes.
In Israeli police custody, Joughin was not charged with any crime and instead issued a deportation order. His lawyer argued that the decision demonstrated the political nature of the case, claiming that Israeli authorities were seeking to remove international activists who had come to the occupied West Bank to support Palestinian communities.
Vardi also questioned the authority of the settlers who detained Joughin, emphasising that they were armed civilians rather than uniformed officials with any legal power to arrest him. She argued that Joughin had simply been standing by the fence in an attempt to prevent settlers from dismantling it when he was taken.
The British Foreign Office confirmed that officials had raised the case with Israeli authorities and were seeking further information. Nonetheless, the incident comes amid a rise in violence by Israeli settlers and security forces against foreign activists and observers in the occupied West Bank over the same weekend.
