Israel army commanders warns settler attacks could trigger new intifada

A Palestinian protestor lifts a national flag across from Israeli settlers and security forces blocking the entrance to the Palestinian al-Lubban al-Sharqiya village, preventing its pupils from going to school, south of Nablus city in the occupied West Bank on 28 November 2021. [JAAFAR ASHTIYEH/AFP via Getty Images]

Senior Israeli army commanders warned yesterday that continuous attacks by Jewish settlers on Palestinian property would trigger a new intifada in the occupied West Bank, Quds Press reported.

According to the news site, Israel’s Walla news website reported that Israeli commanders criticised Israeli police officers due to their refusal to take part in the fight against settler crimes against Palestinians.

Walla pointed out that the Israeli settler attacks have continued, noting that they included riots, burning tyres, damaging crops, throwing stones, setting Palestinian property on fire, among other attacks.

“Only one abnormal settler crime is enough to ignite the escalation in the West Bank,” they warned.

There has been a steady rise in settler attacks on Palestinians, they added, noting that 352 attacks were carried out in 2019, 353 attacks in 2020 and 377 attacks in 2021.

If damage to Palestinian crops were to be added to the attacks in 2021, the number would rise to 563.

READ: Settler terrorism doesn’t discriminate between Israeli Jews and Palestinians

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