Israel settlers attack West Bank villages, burning Palestinian homes

Jewish settlers attacked and ravaged Palestinian villages in the occupied West Bank over the past two days, following the reported disappearance and death of an Israeli teen.

On Friday evening, Israeli forces launched a search for 14-year-old Benjamin Achimeir – who had been reported missing – as illegal Jewish settlers entered and ravaged the West Bank village of Al-Mughayyir, northeast of Ramallah.

Security forces then reportedly discovered Achimeir’s body near the village on Saturday, with Israeli authorities claiming he had been killed in a terror attack.

Following those reports, settlers then returned to the outskirts of Al-Mughayyir, burning two homes and several cars, while also ravaging the nearby village of Douma by setting fire to several homes there, according to the Palestinian news agency WAFA.

As a result of the settlers’ terror attacks, Palestinian health officials stated that at least one person was killed and 25 others injured. In regards to the murdered Palestinian, it was not revealed or identified whether he was shot by settlers or Israeli security forces, although both were reportedly intermixed and operating together during the onslaught.

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One other person brutally beaten by the settlers was Shaul Golan, an Israeli journalist and photographer for the news outlet Yedioth Ahronoth.

Speaking to the outlet Ynetnews, Golan recalled that “I was walking around the village taking pictures when I saw a group of masked Jews emerge from a nearby olive grove, walking around… as if it was their own town. I filmed as they torched homes”.

As he attempted to hide under a table in one of the burnt-out homes, the settlers spotted him and “beat me mercilessly, breaking my finger and taking my bag to burn all of the photography equipment inside. Then they searched my pockets for a memory card to make sure I didn’t have any recording of what they were doing”.

After telling them he was not Palestinian but a Jew and Israeli, they shamed him for reporting on their actions and atrocities. He revealed that some of the settlers “were in IDF uniforms and holding guns. There were 20 or 30 of them who beat me as I shouted for help, hoping that soldiers would hear me. But they were the soldiers… They had hate in their eyes”.

Following the terror attacks by the settlers, Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant stated on X that “I appeal to the public, let the security forces act quickly in the hunt for the terrorists. Acts of revenge will make it difficult for our soldiers in their mission. The law must not be taken into one’s own hands.”

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