Illegal Israeli settlers set fire to Palestinian olive fields near Ramallah in occupied West Bank

Illegal Israeli settlers on Friday set fire to Palestinian olive fields north of Ramallah in the central occupied West Bank, while establishing a new settlement outpost to the east, according to local media, Anadolu reports.

The official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that illegal Israeli settlers set fire to olive groves in the Ras al-Deir area near Sinjil, with the extent of the damage being assessed.

Simultaneously, illegal Israeli settlers erected a tent approximately 500 meters from homes in Al-Mughayir village, the first step toward establishing an illegal settlement outpost in the Al-Qale’ area.

In related violence, Israeli forces raided Al-Lubban Al-Sharqiya village south of Nablus, firing live ammunition and tear gas shells that left scores of Palestinians suffering from suffocation.

According to local sources, soldiers forced shop closures and attacked civilians during the incursion.

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In recent days, settler violence in the West Bank has escalated, with coordinated attacks on Palestinian vehicles, homes, and agricultural lands.

According to Palestinian figures, illegal Israeli settlers carried out 341 attacks on Palestinians and their properties in the West Bank last month.

Since the start of the Israeli onslaught on the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, 2023, at least 970 Palestinians have been killed and more than 7,000 injured in attacks by the Israeli army and illegal settlers across the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

The International Court of Justice declared last July that Israel’s longstanding occupation of Palestinian territories is illegal, and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

READ: Palestine, Jordan slam Israeli plan to build 22 new settlements in occupied West Bank