2 days ago
Two Palestinians killed, dozens injured in West Bank Sinjil settler assaults
Two Palestinians were found dead Friday after violent attacks by 'Israeli' settlers in the village of Sinjel, north of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, amid escalating tensions in the area.
According to a correspondent for Roya News, the bodies of the two victims, including Muhammad Shalabi from the nearby village of Al-Mazra'a Al-Sharqiya, were discovered hours after they went missing during the brutal assaults by settlers.
Local sources reported that both victims suffered severe beatings across their bodies. Muhammad Shalabi was one of the two Palestinians who died as a result of these attacks, which are intensifying the suffering of local residents.
In addition to the fatalities, around 40 others were injured during the settler assaults on Sinjel, with many victims receiving treatment for head wounds and other injuries. Palestinian Red Crescent teams reported difficulties reaching some of the wounded, as settler groups blocked medical crews from accessing young men trapped in the nearby forests.
The 'Israeli' army announced the deployment of two additional battalions to the West Bank in response to the rising violence.
In response, Hamas condemned the settler attacks on Sinjel as a 'criminal assault,' viewing it as confirmation of the Israeli Occupation's ongoing policy of dispossession and aggression against Palestinians. The movement called on Palestinians across the West Bank to rise up in protest and defend their communities against further settler violence.
The day also saw a spike in settler and 'Israeli' army attacks in several other West Bank areas, including the village of Al-Minya east of Bethlehem. There, settlers, backed by Israeli forces, assaulted residents and fired tear gas, causing dozens of cases of suffocation, including among women and children.
Medical sources reported a three-year-old girl sustained a head injury from a direct settler attack.
In Masafir Yatta, south of Hebron, settlers attacked Palestinian homes and assaulted residents, resulting in injuries to two young men who were taken for medical treatment, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent.
The surge in settler violence and military operations raises concerns among human rights groups about deteriorating security conditions and the increasing vulnerability of Palestinian civilians across the occupied territories.
