Israeli Settlers Attack West Bank Villages, Hundreds Injured

Cars burnt by Israeli settlers
Photo credit: CNN

One Palestinian man was killed, and more than 400 were injured, after Israeli settlers set homes, businesses, and cars on fire in the northern town of Huwara, south of Nablus in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, on Sunday night.

The attack came after two Israeli brothers from a nearby village were shot dead as they drove through Huwara. The Israeli military is currently searching for the shooter.

On Monday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) described the settlers’ attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank as “actions of terror”. According to CNN, the IDF detained eight people who were linked to the attacks in Huwara, some of whom have since been released.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he held the Israeli government responsible and described the violence as “terrorist acts carried out by Israeli settlers, under the protection of the Israeli occupation forces”.

“Gravely concerned by the deteriorating security situation in the West Bank, particularly the violence witnessed in the past 24 hrs in Huwwara,” tweeted Tor Wennesland, United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process.

Wennesland also urged both sides to address the core issues driving the conflict.

On Sunday, Israeli and Palestinian officials had pledged to reduce tensions and violence in the West Bank and Jerusalem, during a summit hosted in Jordan.

Nearly 2.9 million Palestinians and 475,000 Jewish settlers live in the West Bank. Since the beginning of 2023, the Israeli-Palestinian violence has claimed the lives of 63 Palestinian adults and children, including militants and civilians.

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