Israeli settlers attack Palestinian homes in West Bank
Masked Israeli settlers launched their first major attack since initiating a siege in the village of Qusra earlier this month. Saturday's attacks were met with rare criticism from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Israeli settlers launched a violent assault on Palestinian homes in the West Bank on Saturday, hurling rocks at residents and trapping them inside their residences. This incident marked the first significant attack by Israeli settlers since they initiated a siege in the villages of Qusra and Jalud earlier in the month. Upon arriving at the scene, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) initially aimed to remove the rioters and separate the groups to safeguard the occupants of the homes.
However, Palestinian sources claim that the IDF aided the settlers during the confrontation. Several Palestinians reported being injured after being pepper-sprayed by the settlers, while others alleged that settlers attempted to burn nearby fields. One witness stated that Israeli forces had deployed tear gas into a home where they were present and held several people captive while permitting the settlers to flee.
Local Palestinians reported being confined in their houses for hours, awaiting assistance from the IDF. Despite a substantial military presence, residents claimed they have experienced nearly daily settler incursions. Human rights organizations assert that the settlers' aggression constitutes an illegal endeavor to claim land from West Bank residents, who aspire to establish their own independent state.
The Israeli government has dismissed allegations of illegality. Various Israeli political figures have defended the settlements for security reasons or argued they are rooted in biblical claims. The IDF has pledged to continue operating in Qusra and Jalud to quell more disturbances and restore order. Despite emboldened settlers due to the far-right government's encouragement of settlement expansion, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the violence in a statement on X, calling it a "criminal act" that unjustly targets the law-abiding Jewish community and harms Israel's global reputation.
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee also denounced the settlers as "Israeli terrorists," suggesting they could face US sanctions.
Written by urgent.news from DW News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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