Jerusalem [Israel], March 23: Israeli settlers have carried out more violent attacks on Palestinian areas in the West Bank on Saturday, burning buildings, homes and vehicles, and beating and pepper spraying Palestinians attempting to stop them.
The attacks are just the latest by settlers, and came on the Eid al-Fitr holiday, which marks the end of the Muslim festival of Ramadan.
Although settler violence has been constant over past decades, it has intensified recently as Israel pushes forward with new settlements.
Violence by settlers has increased since Israel and the US launched their war on Iran on February 28.
Israeli military reports no arrests
The Palestinian Red Crescent says at least three Palestinians were hospitalized after Saturday's attacks, with local authorities adding that property damage across the territory was significant.
The attacks unfolded at numerous sites close to the West Bank towns of Jenin and Nablus.
The official Palestinian news agency WAFA said six communities had been targeted.
On Sunday the Israeli military said soldiers were deployed to a number of Palestinian villages.
The Israeli military said the deployment came in response to reports of civilians carrying out "arson against structures and property, as well as engaging in disturbances in the area."
The Israeli military added that it "condemns any form of violence and will continue to take measures to ensure the security of residents and public order in the region."
Earlier this week, Israel's army chief Eyal Zamir described attacks by extremist settlers on Palestinians as "morally and ethically unacceptable."
Israel is 'advancing the annexation of the West Bank'
However Israeli authorities reported no arrests on Saturday.
Rights groups have accused Israel of failing to protect Palestinians and their property in the West Bank or, at times, of even siding with violent settlers.
Israel took control of the West Bank in the 1967 Six-Day War.
The establishment of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank has been condemned by most of the world's countries, including Germany, as illegal under international law. In 2024, the International Court of Justice, based in the Netherlands, published an opinion stating that Israel has "an obligation to cease immediately all new settlement activities, and to evacuate all settlers from the occupied Palestinian Territory."
The West Bank is home to some 3 million Palestinians. A two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict envisages the territory, along with the Gaza Strip, as the basis of a future Palestinian state.
Over 500,000 Israelis also live in West Bank settlements and outposts and observers argue that settler activities are making any two-state solution impossible.
Source: Times of Oman
