Settler violence against Palestinians and their properties has dramatically increased since the October 7 resistance operation.
Armed illegal Jewish settlers, under the protection of Israeli forces, went on the rampage in towns across the occupied West Bank on Friday, attacking Palestinians.
Hundreds of settlers stormed the town of Huwara, south of Nablus, attacking Palestinians and their properties, according to Palestinian news outlets.
WAFA reported that heavily armed soldiers opened fire on local youth who tried to repel the attack by the settlers.
Settlers also attacked vehicles belonging to Palestinians near the illegal settlement of Yitzhar, causing damage to the vehicles. They also blocked Hawara’s main road, preventing vehicles from passing by.
Settlers also attacked the village of Karma, south of Hebron (Al Khalil), reported WAFA.
The settlers attacked residents’ properties, smashed their vehicles’ windows, and attacked an auto parts shop.
Palestinian Man Shot and Killed, Two Injured and Several Detained in West Bank Raids
Masafer Yatta
Elsewhere, settlers stormed the Khilet a-Dabe area in Masafer Yatta and the outskirts of the town of Dura, south of Hebron.
Settlers also attacked the town of Kafr Qaddum, east of Qalqilya, Jabal Karm Al-Nimr near Beita, south of Nablus, and the village of Al-Marzaa Al-Sharqiya, northeast of Ramallah.
Israeli forces fired teargas at youth during their raid on Kafr Qaddum, according to Palestinian sources.
Settler violence against Palestinians and their properties has dramatically increased since the onset of Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people on October 7, reported WAFA.
Journalist Injured
In Nablus, a journalist was injured by a gas canister to the head, and several civilians suffered gas inhalation on Friday as Israeli forces suppressed an anti-settlement protest in the town of Beita, south of Nablus.
WAFA reported that Israeli forces used live ammunition and tear gas canisters during their crackdown on the weekly march in Beita. Several civilians suffered gas inhalation.
Journalist Sadiq Ryan was reported injured after a gas canister struck him in the head. The attack occurred as Israeli forces prevented residents from approaching their land adjacent to Mount Sabih, where the illegal settlement of Evaytar is located.
The weekly protests in Beita come amidst escalating tensions following the Israeli government’s decision to legalize the outpost by declaring it as “state land,” along with four other settlement outposts in the West Bank.
Beit Iksa is a Village and a Prison – How Israel Made Life in West Bank ‘Unbearable’
Checkpoints Closed
On Friday evening, Israeli occupation forces closed the Awarta and Beit Furik military checkpoints surrounding the city of Nablus, preventing vehicles from passing through.
This closure adds to the ongoing restrictions imposed by Israeli authorities in the West Bank, affecting the freedom of movement for Palestinian citizens in the occupied territory, said WAFA.
US Rabbis Call for End to Jewish Funding of Israeli Extremism
Israeli occupation forces also sealed off the southern entrance of the Shufa village, southeast of Tulkarm.
The Israeli forces used a bulldozer to block the entrance with earth mounds, preventing Palestinian vehicle access into and out of the village.
Israel severely restricts Palestinians’ freedom of movement through a complex combination of approximately 100 fixed checkpoints, flying checkpoints, settler-only roads and various other physical obstructions, reported WAFA.
EU Sanctions
Earlier this week, the European Union imposed sanctions on five Israeli extremist individuals and three entities for systematic human rights abuses against Palestinians in the West Bank.
“The listed individuals and entities are responsible for serious and systematic human rights abuses against Palestinians in the West Bank,” the EU said in a statement on Monday.
‘Systematic Human Rights Abuses’ – EU Imposes Sanctions on West Bank Settlers
This includes the “abuse of the right of everyone to enjoy the highest attainable standard of physical and mental integrity, the right to property, the right to private and family life, to freedom of religion or belief and the right to education.”
Israel has occupied the West Bank, which is home to three million Palestinians, since 1967.
Estimates indicate that around 700,000 Israeli settlers live in roughly 300 illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
All Jewish settlements in the occupied territories are considered illegal under international law.
(PC, WAFA)
Scumbags.