Jewish Settlers Escalate Attacks against Palestinians in West Bank

Jewish settlers, escorted by Israeli soldiers, frequently raid the Masafer Yatta area, near Hebron. (Photo: via Social Media)

Illegal Jewish settlers escalated their attacks against Palestinians across the occupied West Bank, Al-Quds Al-Arabi reported yesterday.

On Saturday night, a group of Jewish settlers attacked Palestinian homes in Sa’ir neighborhood in the West Bank city of Hebron (Al-Khalil). They raided homes and attacked people and threatened to set their properties on fire.

In Hebron’s Tel Rumeida neighborhood, the settlers also attacked Palestinian journalist Muhannad Qafisha, bruising him in the head before he was detained by the Israeli occupation forces.

Last night, a number of Jewish settlers raided Al-Odeesa neighborhood, in the east of Hebron, and threatened to kill Palestinians and burn their homes.

Meanwhile, Israeli occupation forces set up military checkpoints at the entrances of the villages of Beit Awa, Kharsa and Wadi Obeid in the west of Hebron, and at the entrance of Halhoul in the north of Hebron. They humiliated Palestinians and inspected their vehicles.

In Qalqilya, Israeli occupation forces shot Palestinian youth with rubber-coated steel bullets and fired tear gas canisters at residents. Meanwhile, in Bethlehem, they detained five Palestinians after raiding their homes.

Illegal Jewish settlers, led by the former Member of the Knesset Yehuda Glick, stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque and performed Jewish rituals in the Islamic holy site.

Since the start of this year, Israeli occupation forces have demolished and seized more than 689 Palestinian houses in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem, according to UN data.

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.

“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, MEMO, Social Media)

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