A/HRC/12/37 page 22 settlers, as opposed to individuals, as had generally been the case before 2006.96 An Israeli human rights organization has documented 429 cases of settler violence against Palestinians and their property in 2008, a 75 per cent increase over 2007.97 Israeli settlers living in many areas have a special dispensation regarding the owning and carrying of firearms. 59. There have been incidents of violence where large groups of settlers, sometimes more than 100, have attacked Palestinian individuals in the West Bank. In some widely reported instances,98 the attacks were extensive and prolonged, lasting hours. Despite this trend, Israel’s security forces in most cases fail to prevent such attacks and in most cases, settlers do not face prosecution or even investigation. 60. There are instances where settlers are prosecuted for having committed violent acts towards Palestinians. In December 2008, a resident of the Yitav settlement in the north-east West Bank was sentenced to 16 months of imprisonment after having shot and paralysed for life an unarmed Palestinian civilian for no apparent reason.99 While OHCHR is not aware of any comprehensive statistics on settler violence-related prosecutions, such prosecutions appear, to be exceptions to the prevailing impunity. 61. In addition to the fact that settler violence generally takes place with impunity, OHCHR is concerned that there are instances where IDF acquiesce or even cooperate with settlers in committing violent acts against Palestinians. E. Case study: attacks on Safa village 62. Recent events in the village of Safa, near Hebron, are indicative of violations in the OPT related to settler violence and the involvement of IDF in settler violence. 63. The village of Safa, 12 kilometres north of Hebron, is bordered by the Israeli settlement of Bat Ayin in the north and the settlement of Gush Etzion in the north-east. On 2 April 2009, 13-year-old Shlomo Nativ was killed and Yair Gamliel, aged 7, was injured, allegedly by a resident of Safa, in the centre of Bat Ayin settlement. 64. According to information gathered by OHCHR in Safa village, shortly following the incident in Bat Ayin, Israeli forces entered the village. Troops temporarily occupied three homes, declaring them military outposts, and bulldozers blocked off entrances to the village, isolating it 96 OCHA, “Unprotected: Israeli settler violence against Palestinian civilians and their property”, December 2008. 97 According to HRW, Israel/Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT), http://www.hrw.org/en/node/79235. 98 See e.g. OCHA, “Unprotected: Israeli settler violence against Palestinian civilians and their property”, December 2008. 99 B’Tselem, “Settler gets 16 months in jail for shooting and paralysing Palestinian”, 22 December 2008.