Israel settlers carry out 12 attacks on Palestinians in two weeks

Israeli settlers carried out 12 attacks on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank over a two-week period this month, reported UN OCHA.

According to the agency’s “Protection of Civilians Report”, covering the period 9-22 April, the dozen attacks led to 23 Palestinian injuries and damage to Palestinian property.

In two separate incidents in the “H2” area of Hebron city, on 13 and 18 April, Israeli settlers attacked four Palestinians with pepper spray, including two women.

In addition, UN OCHA reported, 19 Palestinians were injured by settlers, or by the soldiers accompanying them, in clashes, after settlers entered two Ramallah-area villages (Turmus’ayya and Al Mazra’a al Qibliya) and two Nablus-area villages (Urif and Burin).

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Further attacks included Israeli settlers vandalising four tractors in Qaryut village (Nablus), 23 cars in ‘Ein Yabrud (Ramallah), and graffiti on three houses in ‘Ein Yabrud.

In ‘Asira al Qibliya (Nablus), meanwhile, “settlers erected fences in an attempt to takeover some 50 dunums of Palestinian-owned land near Yitzhar settlement”, while near the settlement outpost of Adei Ad (Ramallah), 55 olive trees were vandalised, “in an area that requires prior coordination with the Israeli authorities to access”.

Israeli settlers routinely attack Palestinians and their property, and are rarely held to account by Israeli occupation authorities. In many instances, settlers harassing and attacking Palestinians are accompanied and protected by Israeli soldiers.