WEST BANK, Sept 08 (AP/Reuters): An entire Palestinian community fled their tiny West Bank village last fall after repeated threats from Israeli settlers with a history of violence. Then, in a rare endorsement of Palestinian land rights, Israel's highest court ruled this summer the displaced residents of Khirbet Zanuta were entitled to return under the protection of Israeli forces.
But their homecoming has been bittersweet. In the intervening months, nearly all the houses in the village, a health clinic and a school were destroyed - along with the community's sense of security in the remote desert land where they have farmed and herded sheep for decades.
Roughly 40% of former residents have so far chosen not to return. The 150 or so that have come back are sleeping outside the ruins of their old homes. They say they are determined to rebuild - and to stay - even as settlers once again try to intimidate them into leaving and a court order prevents them from any new construction.
"There is joy, but there are some drawbacks," said Fayez Suliman Tel, the head of the village council and one of the first to come back to see the ransacked village - roofs seemingly blown off buildings, walls defaced by graffiti.
"The situation is extremely miserable," Tel said, "but despite that, we are steadfast and staying in our land, and God willing, this displacement will not be repeated."
The Israeli military body in charge of civilian affairs in the West Bank said in a statement to The Associated Press it had not received any claims of Israeli vandalism of the village, and that it was taking measures to "ensure security and public order" during the villagers' return.
"The Palestinians erected a number of structural components illegally at the place, and in that regard enforcement proceedings were undertaken in accordance with law," the statement said.
Gunman kills 3 Israelis
at Jordan border
A gunman crossing from Jordan killed three Israeli civilians at the Allenby Bridge border in the occupied West Bank before security forces shot him dead on Sunday, Israeli authorities said.
It was the first attack of its kind along the border with Jordan since Palestinian Islamist group Hamas carried out an assault on southern Israel on Oct 7, sparking the war in Gaza that has ratcheted up tensions across the region.
The attack took place in a commercial cargo area under Israeli control where Jordanian trucks offload cargo entering the West Bank, officials said. The crossing, also known as the King Hussein Bridge, is about midway between Amman and Jerusalem just north of the Dead Sea.
"A terrorist approached the area of the Allenby Bridge from Jordan in a truck, exited the truck and opened fire at the Israeli security forces operating at the bridge," the Israeli military said.
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