The Palestinian News Agency (WAFA) reported that settlers infiltrated the town and attacked citizens' homes, resulting in the complete burning of two vehicles. It added that the settlers wrote racist slogans and threats on the wall of a house in the town. Following the attack, Israeli occupation forces stormed the town with several military vehicles.
These attacks come amid a recent surge in attacks. Settlers established a new outpost on June 4th on the ruins of the homes of a displaced Palestinian family in the same town. On July 7th, settlers set fire to the historic St. George (Al-Khader) cemetery and church, sparking widespread church and international condemnation.
The escalation was accompanied by visits by patriarchs, church heads, and diplomats from more than 20 countries to the town of Taybeh, a Palestinian Christian town on the slopes of the East Bank.
According to data from the Palestinian Commission Against the Wall and Settlements, settlers carried out 2,153 attacks during the first half of this year, resulting in the deaths of four Palestinians.
Arrest campaign
In a related development, Israeli occupation forces arrested three Palestinians on Monday during a raid on the city of Al-Bireh and the village of Al-Mazra'a Al-Gharbiya, northwest of Ramallah.
According to security sources, occupation forces raided several neighborhoods in Al-Bireh and arrested two citizens after searching their homes. They also arrested another citizen from the village of Al-Mazra'a Al-Gharbiya.
The occupation forces also carried out raids in the towns of Birzeit and Abu Qash, and the village of Abu Shkheidem, north of Ramallah.
In Bethlehem, Israeli forces arrested four citizens after raiding several neighborhoods in the city, including Al-Saff Street and Al-Obeidi Housing, in addition to raiding homes in the town of Al-Khader, south of the city.
In the town of Azzun, east of Qalqilya, occupation forces arrested three citizens: Yamen Bassam Salim, Saeed Mazid Salim, and Ayham Bilal Ghanawi, after raiding and searching their homes.
Local sources reported that occupation forces stormed Qalqilya at night and deployed throughout its neighborhoods, particularly the market area and Al-Dawawin Street, without recording any arrests.
In the Hebron Governorate in the southern West Bank, occupation forces arrested two citizens from the towns of As-Samu and Bani Na'im after raiding and searching their homes. Sources confirmed that the detainees were severely beaten during their arrests.
The occupation forces also set up several military checkpoints at the entrances to Hebron and its towns, and closed a number of main and secondary roads with iron gates, cement blocks, and earth mounds.
Since October 7, 2023, the Israeli occupation army and settlers have escalated their attacks in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, resulting in the deaths of at least 1,008 Palestinians and the injury of approximately 7,000 others, according to Palestinian data.
This coincides with a genocidal war waged by Israel in Gaza since October 7, 2023, which has left more than 204,000 Palestinians dead or wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 9,000 missing, in addition to hundreds of thousands of displaced persons, and a famine that has claimed the lives of many.
