Israeli settlers launched more violent attacks on Palestinian enclaves in the West Bank on Saturday, burning buildings, homes and vehicles, and beating and pepper-spraying Palestinians trying to stop them.
The attacks are the latest by settlers, and come on the heels of the Eid al-Fitr holiday, which marks the end of the Muslim festival of Ramadan.
Although settler violence has been constant over the past decades, it has recently intensified as Israel pursues new settlements.
Violence by residents has increased since Israel and the US launched war against Iran on February 28.
The Israeli military has not reported any arrests.
The Palestinian Red Crescent says at least three Palestinians were hospitalized after Saturday’s attacks, with local officials saying property damage was significant across the area.
The attacks took place in several locations near the West Bank cities of Jenin and Nablus.
The official Palestinian news agency WAFA said six communities were targeted.
On Sunday, the Israeli military said troops had been deployed to several Palestinian villages.
The Israeli military said the deployment came in response to reports of civilians “committing arson against structures and property, as well as engaging in disturbances in the area.”
The Israeli military said it “condemns any form of violence and will continue to take measures to ensure the safety of residents and public order in the area.”
Earlier this week, Israel’s army chief of staff, Eyal Zamir, described attacks by extremist settlers on Palestinians as “morally and ethically unacceptable.”
However, Israeli authorities did not report any arrests on Saturday.
Rights groups have accused Israel of failing to protect Palestinians and their property in the West Bank or even siding with the sometimes violent settlers.
Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Six-Day War.
Most countries of the world, including Germany, have condemned the establishment of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank as illegal under international law. In 2024, the Netherlands-based International Court of Justice published an opinion stating that Israel “has an obligation to immediately cease all new settlement activities and expel all settlers from the occupied Palestinian territory.”
The West Bank is home to approximately 3 million Palestinians. The two-state solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict includes the territory, along with the Gaza Strip, as the basis for a future Palestinian state.
More than 500,000 Israelis also live in settlements and outposts in the West Bank and observers argue that settler activities. making any two-state solution impossible.
Edited by: Sam Dusan Inayatullah