Latest news with #WestBankConflict
Al Mayadeen
2 days ago
- Politics
- Al Mayadeen
Israeli settlers kill Palestinian youth in brutal West Bank assault
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.
CNN
3 days ago
- CNN
CNN speaks with father of American citizen killed by settlers in West Bank
Saif Musallet was just weeks away from celebrating his 21st birthday before the American citizen became one of two men killed on Friday by settlers in the West Bank, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. CNN's Jeremy Diamond spoke with Saif's father who is demanding an American investigation into his son's death.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Palestinian-American beaten to death by Israeli settlers in occupied West Bank, another man shot dead, health ministry says
Israeli settlers killed a 20-year-old Palestinian-American man in the West Bank, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health and an eyewitness, as settler violence against Palestinians ramps up in the occupied territory. Twenty-year-old Sayfollah Musallet 'was martyred after being severely beaten all over his body by settlers in the town of Sinjil, north of Ramallah,' the health ministry said in a statement on Friday. The municipality of Sinjel said that Musallet died following a 'barbaric attack' carried out by settlers as part of 'daily assaults' on local residents. It alleged Israeli forces stormed the area at the same time as the settlers' attack, obstructing the work of paramedics and volunteers. A friend of the deceased man's family told CNN he was with Musallet and took him to a hospital in Ramallah, adding the young man was an American citizen born in Tampa, Florida. Israel's military said it was 'aware of reports regarding a Palestinian civilian killed and a number of injured Palestinians as a result of the confrontation, and they are being looked into by the ISA [Israeli Security Agency] and Israel Police.' Musallet's family is demanding the US State Department lead an investigation into the incident. 'We are devastated that our beloved Sayfollah Musallet (nicknamed Saif) was brutally beaten to death by Israeli settlers while he was protecting his family's land from settlers who were attempting to steal it,' the family said in a statement. 'We demand justice.' The US State Department said in a statement to CNN that it is aware of reports of the death of an American in the West Bank, without providing a name. 'Out of respect for the privacy of the family and loved ones during this difficult time, we have no further comment,' a department spokesperson said. Musallet ran a business in Tampa and had been in the West Bank since June 4 to visit family and friends, the family statement said. A second Palestinian man died in the attack in Sinjel after he was shot in the chest by settlers, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said. Ten others were wounded in the same attack, it added. The municipality said in a social media post Friday that settlers had also attacked an ambulance while paramedics were working near Sinjel. In a video accompanying the post which CNN has geolocated to the outskirts of Sinjel an ambulance can be seen with a smashed windscreen and rear window. CNN has reached out to the Israeli military and police about the incident. Following the attacks, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticised what it called Israel's expanding settlement projects in the occupied territory and called for urgent action to hold the perpetrators of settler violence accountable. Israel has recently ramped up military operations in the West Bank, displacing tens of thousands of Palestinians and razing entire communities as it targets what it says are militants operating in the territory. Multiple American citizens have been killed in the West Bank in the past few years, according to Palestinian officials and eyewitnesses, including a 14-year-old boy whom the Israeli military shot dead last April in what they described as a 'counterterrorism operation.' Israeli soldiers also shot dead a 26-year-old woman during a protest against an Israeli settlement in September 2024. CNN's Ibrahim Dahman, Annoa Abekah-Mensah and Eve Brennan contributed to this report.
CNN
6 days ago
- CNN
Palestinian-American beaten to death by Israeli settlers in occupied West Bank, another man shot dead, health ministry says
Israeli settlers killed a 20-year-old Palestinian-American man in the West Bank, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health and an eyewitness, as settler violence against Palestinians ramps up in the occupied territory. Twenty-year-old Sayfollah Musallet 'was martyred after being severely beaten all over his body by settlers in the town of Sinjil, north of Ramallah,' the health ministry said in a statement on Friday. The municipality of Sinjel said that Musallet died following a 'barbaric attack' carried out by settlers as part of 'daily assaults' on local residents. It alleged Israeli forces stormed the area at the same time as the settlers' attack, obstructing the work of paramedics and volunteers. A friend of the deceased man's family told CNN he was with Musallet and took him to a hospital in Ramallah, adding the young man was an American citizen born in Tampa, Florida. Israel's military said it was 'aware of reports regarding a Palestinian civilian killed and a number of injured Palestinians as a result of the confrontation, and they are being looked into by the ISA [Israeli Security Agency] and Israel Police.' Musallet's family is demanding the US State Department lead an investigation into the incident. 'We are devastated that our beloved Sayfollah Musallet (nicknamed Saif) was brutally beaten to death by Israeli settlers while he was protecting his family's land from settlers who were attempting to steal it,' the family said in a statement. 'We demand justice.' The US State Department said in a statement to CNN that it is aware of reports of the death of an American in the West Bank, without providing a name. 'Out of respect for the privacy of the family and loved ones during this difficult time, we have no further comment,' a department spokesperson said. Musallet ran a business in Tampa and had been in the West Bank since June 4 to visit family and friends, the family statement said. A second Palestinian man died in the attack in Sinjel after he was shot in the chest by settlers, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said. Ten others were wounded in the same attack, it added. Following the attacks, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticised what it called Israel's expanding settlement projects in the occupied territory and called for urgent action to hold the perpetrators of settler violence accountable. Israel has recently ramped up military operations in the West Bank, displacing tens of thousands of Palestinians and razing entire communities as it targets what it says are militants operating in the territory. Multiple American citizens have been killed in the West Bank in the past few years, according to Palestinian officials and eyewitnesses, including a 14-year-old boy whom the Israeli military shot dead last April in what they described as a 'counterterrorism operation.' Israeli soldiers also shot dead a 26-year-old woman during a protest against an Israeli settlement in September 2024. CNN's Ibrahim Dahman contributed to this report.
CNN
6 days ago
- CNN
Palestinian-American beaten to death by Israeli settlers in occupied West Bank, another man shot dead, health ministry says
Israeli settlers killed a 20-year-old Palestinian-American man in the West Bank, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health and an eyewitness, as settler violence against Palestinians ramps up in the occupied territory. Twenty-year-old Sayfollah Musallet 'was martyred after being severely beaten all over his body by settlers in the town of Sinjil, north of Ramallah,' the health ministry said in a statement on Friday. The municipality of Sinjel said that Musallet died following a 'barbaric attack' carried out by settlers as part of 'daily assaults' on local residents. It alleged Israeli forces stormed the area at the same time as the settlers' attack, obstructing the work of paramedics and volunteers. A friend of the deceased man's family told CNN he was with Musallet and took him to a hospital in Ramallah, adding the young man was an American citizen born in Tampa, Florida. Israel's military said it was 'aware of reports regarding a Palestinian civilian killed and a number of injured Palestinians as a result of the confrontation, and they are being looked into by the ISA [Israeli Security Agency] and Israel Police.' Musallet's family is demanding the US State Department lead an investigation into the incident. 'We are devastated that our beloved Sayfollah Musallet (nicknamed Saif) was brutally beaten to death by Israeli settlers while he was protecting his family's land from settlers who were attempting to steal it,' the family said in a statement. 'We demand justice.' The US State Department said in a statement to CNN that it is aware of reports of the death of an American in the West Bank, without providing a name. 'Out of respect for the privacy of the family and loved ones during this difficult time, we have no further comment,' a department spokesperson said. Musallet ran a business in Tampa and had been in the West Bank since June 4 to visit family and friends, the family statement said. A second Palestinian man died in the attack in Sinjel after he was shot in the chest by settlers, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said. Ten others were wounded in the same attack, it added. Following the attacks, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticised what it called Israel's expanding settlement projects in the occupied territory and called for urgent action to hold the perpetrators of settler violence accountable. Israel has recently ramped up military operations in the West Bank, displacing tens of thousands of Palestinians and razing entire communities as it targets what it says are militants operating in the territory. Multiple American citizens have been killed in the West Bank in the past few years, according to Palestinian officials and eyewitnesses, including a 14-year-old boy whom the Israeli military shot dead last April in what they described as a 'counterterrorism operation.' Israeli soldiers also shot dead a 26-year-old woman during a protest against an Israeli settlement in September 2024. CNN's Ibrahim Dahman contributed to this report.
