Israeli settlers kill Palestinian youth in brutal West Bank assault

Al Mayadeen

4 days ago

The Palestinian Ministry of Health announced on Friday the martyrdom of 23-year-old Sefideddine Kamel Abdel Karim Musallat, from the town of al-Mazra'a al-Sharqiya, after he was brutally assaulted by Israeli settlers in the town of Sinjil, north of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.
According to reports from the Palestinian news agency WAFA, the assault was part of a broader settler attack that injured at least 10 other Palestinians. The victims suffered fractures and other injuries after being attacked in Khirbet al-Tal, located in Jabal al-Batin south of Sinjil, in the Ramallah and al-Bireh governorate.
WAFA quoted a local activist who said that dozens of armed settlers attacked residents and international solidarity activists who were attempting to reach Khirbet al-Tal to dismantle an illegal outpost. The injured Palestinians came from several nearby villages, including Sinjil, al-Mazra'a al-Sharqiya, Abwein, and Jiljilya.
During the incident, a Palestinian civilian was run over by a settler, and two ambulances were attacked, resulting in shattered windows, further highlighting the extent of settler violence against both civilians and medical teams.
This latest attack follows the killing of another Palestinian earlier this month near eastern Nablus by Israeli occupation forces. Settler violence, often carried out under the protection of the Israeli forces, has intensified in recent months across the occupied West Bank.
Local sources also reported new assaults by settlers near the village of al-Minya, southeast of Beit Lahm, where several Palestinians, including children, were injured under Israeli military protection.
Meanwhile, Israeli occupation forces continue to demolish homes in the Tulkarm refugee camp as part of an ongoing military campaign. The assault on the camp and its surrounding city has entered its 166th consecutive day, reflecting the broader Israeli aggression against Palestinian communities across the occupied territories.
Israeli far-right Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has established a new police unit consisting of armed settlers who are operating illegally, according to the Anadolu agency, with analysts suggesting this step could further entrench "Israel's" de facto "annexation" of the occupied West Bank.
The far-right minister announced the decision during a ceremony on Wednesday at the Ibrahimi Mosque in al-Khalil, located in the southern part of the occupied West Bank.
According to a police statement released on Thursday, the newly formed "First Response Unit," composed of more than 100 illegal settlers from Israeli settlements, will operate under the West Bank police division with the alleged aim of delivering "rapid and effective emergency response," improving "personal security," and assisting in "fighting crime" in the area.
Ben-Gvir referred to the settlers in the unit as an "inseparable part of society," commending their ability to deliver "quick responses in the field," while framing the initiative as an expression of "real sovereignty and practical Zionism," a statement widely interpreted as advancing "Israel's" broader objective of annexing the West Bank.
Palestinians in the occupied West Bank are enduring a significant surge in settler attacks and an exponential expansion of illegal settlement outposts. According to Israeli media on Friday, there has been a 40% rise in the number of illegal settlements under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government.
Israeli Channel 12 reported that the West Bank has witnessed a boom in settlement activity since the formation of Netanyahu's government at the end of 2022. The number of settlements increased from 128 to 178, accompanied by extensive demolitions of Palestinian homes.
This expansion directly affects Palestinian communities through land seizure and home demolitions. The channel emphasized that these measures aim to entrench Israeli control over the area and dismantle the viability of the "two-state solution".
Ben-Gvir's new unit comprises settlers involved in near-daily attacks against Palestinians. From physical assault and murder to arson and vandalism, destruction of agricultural lands, theft of land and resources, road ambushes and attacks on shepherds, and home invasions and intimidation, these attacks typically go about without consequence; suspects are seldom arrested, and prosecutions are even rarer.