Casten, Schakowsky Demand Trump Administration Prevent Displacement of Palestinians in West Bank
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Representatives Sean Casten (IL-06) and Jan Schakowsky (IL-09) led 30 House Democrats in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanding the State Department engage with the Israeli government to prevent the forced displacement of Palestinian residents from the village of Khallet al-Sidra in the West Bank and to ensure displaced families can safely return and rebuild their homes.
“U.S. pressure on the Israeli government has proven crucial in protecting Palestinian communities in the past. Some communities facing significant demolition threats have remained in place in part due to sustained international and U.S. diplomatic attention” the lawmakers wrote. “We urge you to use your diplomatic influence to help ensure that residents of Khallet al-Sidra can safely return to their land without fear of violence and that immediate steps are taken to prevent further settler attacks and hold perpetrators accountable. This should include permitting the reconstruction of homes and essential infrastructure destroyed in recent incidents, as well as ensuring that Israeli authorities provide adequate protection to vulnerable communities consistent with their legal obligations.”
Khallet al-Sidra is a small shepherding community that has existed for decades, but in recent months, residents have faced escalating violence and intimidation from Israeli settlers, including arson attacks that have destroyed homes, vehicles, and essential livelihood structures. Reports indicate that these attacks, combined with threats and restricted access to the area, have created conditions that have forced families to flee and prevented them from returning or rebuilding.
This situation reflects a broader pattern of increasing settler violence and displacement across the West Bank. Since October 2023, hundreds of Palestinian communities have faced sustained attacks and pressure, contributing to widespread displacement and raising serious concerns under international humanitarian law. In 2025, the United Nations documented over 1,800 settler attacks affecting approximately 280 communities, and displacement has accelerated further in 2026.
In addition to Reps. Casten and Schakowsky, the letter was signed by Reps. Jerrold Nadler, Becca Balint, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Lloyd Doggett, Dave Min, Jennifer McClellan, Lateefah Simon, Jamie Raskin, Rosa DeLauro, Chris Deluzio, Betty McCollum, Mark Pocan, Al Green, Sylvia Garcia, Nikema Williams, André Carson, Chellie Pingree, Val Hoyle, Jared Huffman, Steve Cohen, Veronica Escobar, Mike Quigley, James McGovern, Mark DeSaulnier, Nanette Diaz Barragán, Joaquin Castro, Derek Tran, and Seth Moulton.
A copy of the letter can be found here. Text of the letter can be found below.
Dear Secretary Rubio:
As Members of Congress who support a strong U.S.-Israel relationship, we are writing to urge you to engage with the Israeli government to prevent the forced displacement of Palestinian residents from the Bedouin village of Khallet al-Sidra, located near Mukhmas in the West Bank, and to ensure that residents are permitted to safely return and rebuild their homes following multiple devastating arson attacks by Israeli settlers. Allowing settlers to successfully use violence to displace shepherds from their homes, expand territorial control, and undermine prospects for peace is an unbearable injustice that runs counter to U.S. values and jeopardizes the possibility of a negotiated two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Khallet al-Sidra is a small shepherding community that has existed for decades. In recent months, residents have faced escalating violence and intimidation from Israeli settlers, including arson attacks that have destroyed homes, vehicles, and essential livelihood structures. Reports indicate that settlers have explicitly threatened residents, contributing to a coercive environment that has forced families to flee. When residents have attempted to return and rebuild, Israeli authorities have reportedly restricted access to the area and denied reconstruction, leaving families displaced and without recourse.
For decades, the Bedouin families of Khallet al-Sidra have made this land their home. They have bravely tried to remain despite increasing threats and pressure, but cannot continue to do so if the Israeli government continues to enable displacement and violence persists without effective intervention.
This situation reflects a broader and deeply concerning pattern of escalating settler violence and forced displacement across the West Bank. For the past two and a half years, Palestinian communities, especially Bedouin and shepherding communities in Area C, have faced sustained attacks, intimidation, and increasing barriers to remaining on their land. In 2025, the United Nations documented over 1,800 settler attacks that resulted in deaths, injuries, or property damage in approximately 280 communities across the West Bank. The United Nations has also documented the accelerating displacement this violence is causing. As of late March 2026, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that 1,697 Palestinians from 33 communities had already been displaced in 2026 due to settler violence and access restrictions, surpassing the total for all of 2025, and that 38 communities have been emptied since 2023. This sustained pattern contributes to de facto forced displacement and raises serious concerns under international humanitarian law, including obligations related to the protection of civilian populations under occupation.
U.S. pressure on the Israeli government has proven crucial in protecting Palestinian communities in the past. Some communities facing significant demolition threats have remained in place in part due to sustained international and U.S. diplomatic attention. We urge you to use your diplomatic influence to help ensure that residents of Khallet al-Sidra can safely return to their land without fear of violence and that immediate steps are taken to prevent further settler attacks and hold perpetrators accountable. This should include permitting the reconstruction of homes and essential infrastructure destroyed in recent incidents, as well as ensuring that Israeli authorities provide adequate protection to vulnerable communities consistent with their legal obligations.
Thank you for your attention to this urgent humanitarian matter. Protecting vulnerable communities from displacement and violence is critical to upholding shared values and preserving the possibility of a just and lasting peace.
Sincerely,
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