Violence flares in West Bank as Palestinians stone Israeli car, masked rioters attack olive harvest

On Saturday, violence erupted in the West Bank as Palestinians threw rocks at an Israeli vehicle near the village of Beit Umar, north of Hebron. The rocks shattered the windshield, causing the driver to sustain a minor injury. Israeli security forces swiftly deployed roadblocks in the vicinity and initiated a search for the perpetrators.

Later that day, masked Jewish Israelis, armed with clubs, were seen traveling in a pickup truck near Beit Fajar, close to Beit Umar. Their intention, as reported by Israeli media, was to target Palestinians harvesting olives in the area. The rioters subsequently smashed a Palestinian car before Israeli security forces arrived on the scene. Five Palestinians were wounded in the incident, while the area was subsequently declared a closed military zone, allowing the Palestinians to resume their olive harvesting.

Following this, more masked rioters arrived but dispersed before reinforcements could reach the area. During their advance, security forces detected two suspicious vehicles and discharged shots into the air, prompting the vehicles to flee towards an illegal settlement outpost nearby. Further investigation revealed that one of the vehicles involved was stolen.

Later in the day, four minors were apprehended in Jerusalem's Har Homa neighborhood, suspected of throwing stones at a bus and breaking its rear window.