Dozens of settlers stormed villages, setting fireplace to properties in seek for lacking teenager.
A Palestinian man has been killed in an assault by Israeli settlers within the occupied West Financial institution, the place tensions stay excessive amid fears of extra violence.
Dozens of settlers stormed the village of al-Mughayyir, northeast of Ramallah, killing one Palestinian and wounding at the very least 25 individuals after a 14-year-old Israeli settler went lacking.
The assaults that began on Friday with a number of Palestinian properties additionally set on fireplace have been persevering with on Saturday, when at the very least 4 Palestinians have been wounded within the village of Duma and one other particular person in al-Mughayyir.
In Duma, a number of properties and automobiles have been set ablaze as Israeli forces appeared on, locals instructed Al Jazeera.
The Israeli military stated the physique of the lacking teenager had been discovered, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday condemning the “heinous homicide” and “grave crime”.
Reporting from Abu Falah, north of Ramallah, Al Jazeera’s Nida Ibrahim stated at the very least 40 automobiles and houses have been destroyed within the assault.
There are fears that extra Palestinian properties might be focused, reported Ibrahim, who witnessed a number of settlers nonetheless roaming the Palestinian village and at the very least two close by Palestinian communities.
Israeli opposition chief Yair Lapid criticised “violent riots” by settlers within the occupied West Financial institution and urged the nation’s management to intervene to keep away from extra killing.
“The violent riots of the settlers are a harmful violation of the regulation, they usually intrude with the safety forces working within the space,” Lapid posted on X.
Netanyahu and Minister of Nationwide Safety Itamar Ben-Gvir “ought to cease the lawlessness on the bottom earlier than extra blood is spilled”, Lapid added.
‘Lack of accountability’
Raids by Israeli settlers and troopers in opposition to occupied West Financial institution cities and villages have elevated because the outbreak of the warfare on Gaza on October 7, killing tons of of Palestinians.
Ibrahim reported that “settler assaults have been growing and 2023 has been the best on document in the case of assaults by settlers in opposition to Palestinians”.
She famous that “already this yr, we’ve been seeing the assaults from three per day to 4 per day. Palestinians say that the shortage of accountability provides settlers the impunity to proceed the assaults”.
Close to Ein Siniya village in Ramallah, resident Abed Abu Awwad instructed Al Jazeera on Saturday that settlers blocked a street and threw stones at his automobile, which smashed a window.
Al Jazeera’s Ibrahim stated that Israeli forces had arrange a checkpoint stopping automobiles from going to al-Mughayyir and surrounding villages.
The Israeli military, which earlier stated it had discovered {the teenager}’s physique, posted on X that “safety forces are persevering with the pursuit after these suspected of finishing up the assault”.
Reporting from occupied East Jerusalem, Al Jazeera’s Imran Khan stated that Israeli military raids throughout the occupied West Financial institution have been going down on a near-nightly foundation in a number of places.
“This can be a technique Israeli authorities have intentionally put in place within the occupied West Financial institution – they are saying they’re going after Hamas targets and anyone who’s a fighter, however we’re seeing increasingly more Palestinian civilians being arrested and we see much more violence going down inside these areas,” Khan stated.
America and United Kingdom have introduced sanctions on Israeli settlers accused of committing human rights abuses in opposition to Palestinians within the occupied West Financial institution.
Rights teams have accused the navy of failing to halt settler violence or punish troopers for wrongdoing.
The settlers are Israeli residents who dwell on personal Palestinian land within the occupied West Financial institution and East Jerusalem. The settlements are unlawful underneath worldwide regulation.