Latest news with #SettlerViolence
Al Mayadeen
2 days ago
- Politics
- Al Mayadeen
West Bank towns under settler attack as military raids intensify
Settler violence and military raids intensified across the occupied West Bank on Saturday evening, with attacks reported in Ramallah, Nablus, Qalqilya, and Tulkarm. Palestinian security sources reported that armed settler groups assaulted the outskirts of Jaljulia village, located north of Ramallah, attempting to set Palestinian homes ablaze. In Sinjil, northeast of Ramallah, settlers targeted the southern area known as Al-Batin, where local residents confronted the intruders, preventing further escalation. Meanwhile, gunfire was opened toward civilians from an illegal outpost in the Al-Qala'a area, east of the village of al-Mughayyir. In a separate act of intimidation, settlers gathered at the entrance to the nearby town of Turmusaya. قطعان من المستوطنين يقتحمون أراضي بلدة جلجليا شمال رام الله، ويحاولون إحراق منزل على أطراف البلدة. another development, Israeli occupation forces detained a Palestinian man at the Atara military checkpoint north of Ramallah, as part of the army's ongoing arrest operations across the region. South of Nablus, residents of Beita town fended off a settler incursion, during which a young Palestinian was wounded by rubber bullets. In the same area, settlers torched a vehicle during their invasion of Mount Bir Qouza. عاجل | إصابة شاب بالرصاص المطاطي خلال مواجهات مع قوات الاحتلال أثناء التصدي لهجوم مستوطنين على جبل بئر قوزا، في بلدة بيتا جنوب نابلس. the eastern part of Qalqilya Governorate, Israeli forces stormed the villages of Hajjah, Baqat al-Hatab, and Seer. Local witnesses described the raids as deliberately provocative, with soldiers patrolling village streets in a confrontational manner. Tension also flared in Anabta, east of Tulkarm, where confrontations erupted following an Israeli military raid. The assault comes amid a prolonged Israeli campaign in Tulkarm and its refugee camp, now in its 160th consecutive day, and a parallel offensive in the Nour Shams refugee camp, which has entered its 147th day. Both areas continue to suffer under repeated incursions and rapidly deteriorating humanitarian conditions. Since October 2023, "Israel" has intensified its military presence across the occupied West Bank. Overnight roadblocks of earth and stone appeared, followed by brightly painted metal gates. New permanent and flying checkpoints now dot the landscape. For many, this has severely disrupted daily life. Sana Alwan, a 52-year-old personal trainer in Sinjil, said her commute to Ramallah now takes up to three hours each way and unpredictable delays have caused her work to decline. "Half of our life is on the roads," she said. While spared the full-scale war seen on Gaza, life in the occupied West Bank has grown increasingly difficult. A ban on Palestinian workers entering the 1948-occupied Palestinian territories cut off livelihoods for tens of thousands. A crackdown on refugee camps displaced thousands earlier this year. Read more: Settler violence turns inward: IOF attacked, security post burned Moreover, Israeli military operations in the occupied West Bank have resulted in the demolition of more than 1,000 Palestinian homes and the killing of at least 55 people since January. The destruction has concentrated on three northern West Bank refugee camps: Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur Shams, with operations intensifying since January 21. These raids are part of a protracted military campaign characterized by home demolitions, infrastructure destruction, and the occupation of residential buildings.
Reuters
3 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Clerics accuse West Bank settlers of attacking Christian sites
TAYBEH, West Bank, July 14 (Reuters) - Christian leaders accused Israeli settlers on Monday of attacking sacred sites in the West Bank, in violence that one said was forcing some to consider quitting the occupied territory. The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilos III - visiting the Christian town of Taybeh with other Jerusalem-based clerics - said settlers had started a fire near a cemetery and a 5th century church there last week. "These actions are a direct and intentional threat to our local community ... but also to the historic and religious heritage," the patriarch told diplomats and journalists at a press conference in Taybeh. Settlers had also attacked homes in the area, he said. "We call for an immediate and transparent investigation on why the Israeli police did not respond to emergency calls from the local community and why these abhorrent actions continue to go unpunished," he added. Israel's government spokesperson did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Israel's government had previously said that any acts of violence by civilians are unacceptable and that individuals should not take the law into their own hands. During the visit, the heads of the churches led locals in prayer as candles flickered in the ruins of the 5th century church of St George. They spoke with residents who described their fears. B'Tselem and other rights groups say settler violence in the West Bank has risen since the start of Israel's war against Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza in late 2023. Dozens of Israelis have also been killed in Palestinian street attacks in recent years and the Israeli military has intensified raids across the West Bank. Palestinian health authorities and witnesses said two men, including a U.S. citizen, were killed by settlers during a confrontation on Friday night. Fears over violence were pushing Christians to leave the West Bank, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Roman Catholic Patriarch of Jerusalem since 2020, said. "Unfortunately, the temptation to emigrate is there because of the situation," he added. "This time it's very difficult to see how and when this will finish, and especially for the youth to talk about hope, trust for the future." Around 50,000 Christian Palestinians live in Jerusalem and in the West Bank, an area that includes many of the faith's most sacred sites including Bethlehem where believers say Jesus was born. Around 700,000 Israeli settlers live among 2.7 million Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, territories Israel captured from Jordan in the 1967 war, which Palestinians see as part of a future state.
