Israeli forces carried out multiple detention raids across the occupied West Bank overnight Monday after four Israeli settlers were injured in a shooting south of Nablus and an explosive device was allegedly hurled at a settler vehicle near Ramallah.

Dozens of settlers from the illegal settlement of Beit El were also reported to have attacked Palestinian vehicles on the road between Ramallah and Nablus.

The violent reprisals come as the president of the Shomron regional council, which groups together illegal Israeli settlements in the northern West Bank, said in a statement that “we must not let terrorism spread.”

“I call on the government to authorize the army to act without pity against these savages who take civilians for targets,” he said.

The Israeli army reported that four Israeli settlers were injured in Monday’s shooting while driving near the West Bank village of al-Mughayir.

Israeli forces in the early hours of Tuesday stormed al-Mughayir and made multiple detention raids.

Witnesses said large numbers of Israeli soldiers ransacked Palestinian homes, “detaining young men haphazardly.”

They added that the soldiers deployed on every street corner in the village after setting up military checkpoints at its entrances.

Worshipers who tried to go to mosques for dawn prayer were denied access and forced to return to their homes, they said.

Detention Raids and Clashes

Meanwhile, fierce clashes broke out between young Palestinians and Israeli soldiers late Monday after they stormed the village of Kafr Malik east of Ramallah.

Locals told Ma’an that after soldiers seized surveillance cameras from shops and gas stations inside the village, Palestinian youths confronted the soldiers with stones and empty bottles.

Israeli forces also raided the nearby villages of Qusra and Qaryout in southern Nablus.

They sealed the entrance of Qaryout overnight, and raided and searched several shops in Qusra, checking surveillance cameras.

Palestinian security sources added that Israeli soldiers detained four Palestinians before leaving the village, identified as Usama Abu Shihab, 26, Suleiman Qadri, 42, Shadi Fawzi, 27, and Wajdi Fathallah, 26.

Palestinian security forces said that Israeli soldiers also raided a shop in Duma village.

In Tell village, Amir Khader Taleb Hamad, 19, was injured with a rubber-coated steel bullet in his foot during clashes with Israeli soldiers when they raided the village early Tuesday.

In Asira al-Shamaliya, soldiers detained Muhammad Amr Muhammad Shuli, 30, village after raiding and searching his home.

Israeli forces were also reported to have stormed the villages of Deir Jarir, Ibwein and Ajjul north of Ramallah and seized surveillance cameras from shops.

Witnesses said a checkpoint was set up at the entrance to the village of Atara north of Ramallah.

Ma’an was unable to contact an Israeli army spokesperson to confirm the reports.

Settler Reprisals

Separately, dozens of Israeli settlers from the illegal Beit El settlement near Ramallah threw stones at Palestinian vehicles travelling between Ramallah and Nablus.

Witnesses said that several vehicles were hit and many drivers chose to take other roads to avoid the section close to the illegal settlement.

Clashes later broke out when Palestinians from nearby al-Jalazoun refugee camp threw stones and fireworks at the settlers and Israeli soldiers rushed in to defend them, firing tear gas canisters, stun grenades and rubber-coated steel bullets.

Monday’s shooting came following a string of “lone-wolf” attacks by Palestinians on Israeli military and civilians.

Earlier on Monday a Palestinian woman was arrested after she stabbed an Israeli soldier at the 300 checkpoint in Bethlehem, and on June 21 another Palestinian was shot after stabbing an Israeli border policeman in occupied East Jerusalem.

An average of two Israeli civilians per week have sustained injuries by Palestinians so far in 2015, with one Israeli killed, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

In the same time period, however, an average of 39 Palestinians have been injured by Israeli forces per week and 13 killed, including two since the beginning of this month.

The number does not include incidents of injury by Israeli settlers on Palestinians in the West Bank.

(Ma’an – www.maannews.net)