A Jewish settler opened fire in the air today as he approached in his car a post that Palestinian volunteers had set up in southern West Bank as part of efforts to fight the spread of coronavirus pandemic, according to local sources.
The Jewish settler fired several shots in the air as he passed near the post set up at the entrance to the village of Hossan, east of Bethlehem, in a step to intimidate the volunteers. No injuries were reported.
While millions in Israel and the West Bank are under lockdown, state-backed settler violence continues unabated. Israeli settlers are attacking Palestinian shepherds on pastureland, entering villages, attacking residents and destroying their property. https://t.co/KTCIluZili pic.twitter.com/AVkB4EDJTL
— IMEU (@theIMEU) April 19, 2020
Settler violence against Palestinians and their property is routine in the West Bank and is rarely prosecuted by Israeli authorities.
“Jewish settler violence should not be analyzed separately from the violence meted out by the Israeli army, but seen within the larger context of the violent Zionist ideology that governs Israeli society entirely,” wrote Palestinian author and editor of The Palestine Chronicle, Ramzy Baroud.
In this video, you're watching Israeli settlers, just for fun, attack a Palestinian woman and her children in Hebron, the occupied Palestine.#FolloMe & #RetweeetPlease pic.twitter.com/qFJGFX0C4S
— 🇵🇸#We_are_Palestine🇵🇸 ✌🇵🇸 (@w_palestine) April 22, 2020
“Settler violence has long since become part of Palestinians’ daily life under occupation,” according to the Human Rights Group B’tselem. “Israeli security forces enable these actions, which result in Palestinian casualties – injuries and fatalities – as well as damage to land and property. In some cases, they even serve as an armed escort, or even join in the attacks”.
Between 500,000 and 600,000 Israelis live in Jewish-only settlements across occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank in violation of international law.
(Palestine Chronicle, WAFA, Social Media)
