Dozens of illegal Jewish settlers attacked the village of Turmus’ayya, north of Ramallah, setting fire to homes, shops, vehicles, fields, and olive trees as residents of the quiet village tried to defend it.

A 27-year-old Palestinian man, Omar Qatin, was reported killed and many others were wounded in the attacks. 

The village’s mayor also confirmed that about 60 cars and about 30 houses were burned in the settler attack. 

Jewish Settlers Carry Out New Pogrom in West Bank, Targeting Turmus'ayya, North of Ramallah

Dozens of illegal settlers attacked Turmus'ayya, north of #Ramallah, setting fire to homes, shops, vehicles, fields, and olive trees as residents of the quiet village tried to defend it. pic.twitter.com/qoutyPtGTn

— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) June 21, 2023

Al-Jazeera correspondent Guevara Al-Bouderi said that most of the residents of the small village hold American citizenship and that the Israeli occupation forces “did not lift a finger” to try to stop the settlers’ attacks.

More than 35 Palestinians were injured because of settler attacks on the villages and towns of Turmus’ayya, Beit Furik, and Awarta, in addition to Huwara, Al-Lubban Al-Sharqiya, Al-Sawiya, Za’tara, Yasuf, and Deir Sharaf.

Palestinian youths reportedly confronted the armed settlers, while Israeli occupying forces responded by firing metal bullets and tear gas canisters. 

The attacks also ruined agricultural lands and crops, 140 Palestinian vehicles were burned or damaged. An ambulance that arrived at the scene to evacuate the wounded was also set ablaze by the settlers. 

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The Palestinian Civil Defense confirmed that its crews limited the fire from reaching the facilities of a major gas station.

Before the settlers stormed Turmus’ayya, the occupation army announced on Wednesday that it had made several arrests in the Palestinian town of Urif in the occupied West Bank, following an armed attack carried out by two Palestinians from the village on Tuesday near a Jewish settlement that killed 4 Israelis. 

“The detainees were transferred for interrogation by security forces,” the Israeli army said in a statement.

The Palestinian news agency Wafa quoted the head of the village council of Urif Abdul Hamid Shehadeh as saying that “the occupation forces stormed the town, raided several houses and arrested a number of citizens.”

The attack on the settlers – claimed by the al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), came a day after the unprecedented storming of Jenin camp, whose number of martyrs rose to 8 this morning after the death of Sadeel Nghnjia (14 years old) from wounds sustained during the occupation forces’ attack on the camp yesterday.

Following Operation Eli, the Israeli army announced the reinforcement of its forces in the West Bank with additional battalions.

Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy decided to reinforce the deployment of forces in the northern West Bank following the shooting attack in the settlement of Eli, located between Ramallah and Nablus.

International Outcry as Jewish Settlers Brutally Assault Palestinians in Huwwara

Halevi’s decision came during an inspection visit to the site of the operation, after which he ordered the arrests of Palestinians.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry called for urgent US intervention to prevent the “explosion” that extremists are preparing for.

The Palestinian UN mission also sent a letter to the UN Security Council on the recent Israeli operation in Jenin, saying that Israel carried out airstrikes in an attack on the occupied West Bank for the first time since 2002, and put civilians at grave risk.

For its part, the US State Department expressed concern about “the continued violence in Israel and the West Bank, which has resulted in the death and injury of Palestinian and Israeli civilians,” adding that it continues to work with “Israel and the Palestinian Authority to promote steps towards de-escalation.”

The European Union condemned what it called a terrorist attack near the settlement of Eli, expressed concern about the escalation of “violence” and settlement expansion, and urged “all parties” to work towards “de-escalation and end the cycle of violence.”

(AJ, PC)