“Israeli” Raids Hit West Bank Amid Settler Attack Near Ramallah

By Staff, Agencies

"Israeli" occupation forces [IOF] carried out a series of overnight raids across the occupied West Bank, detaining at least 16 Palestinians, including a child, in the city of al-Khalil on Wednesday.

The raids reportedly extended to the town of Ya'bad, south of Jenin, where troops re-arrested a former detainee who had only been released the previous night. In al-Bireh, the IOF surrounded a residence in the Umm al-Sharayet neighborhood and detained a young man.

Eyewitnesses reported that the IOF violently assaulted several detainees during the arrests, beating them and ransacking their homes.

Elsewhere, the IOF erected new checkpoints at the entrances of al-Khalil and nearby towns and refugee camps, obstructing movement by sealing off key roads with iron gates, concrete barriers, and earth mounds.

In a separate incident late Tuesday, groups of "Israeli" settlers attacked the outskirts of the village of Burqa, east of Ramallah, attempting to storm the area before eventually retreating. According to the reports, no injuries or property damage were reported.

The IOF raided the town of Abu Dis, just east of occupied al-Quds, on Tuesday, launching tear gas and sound grenades indiscriminately at people in the streets, traumatizing residents and forcing many to change their routes to avoid the growing violence.

This assault coincides with a surge in attacks by settlers and the IOF across the occupied West Bank, with the United Nations reporting it has documented approximately 757 attacks carried out by "Israeli" settlers against Palestinians and their property in the first half of this year alone.

The spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres stated that settlers are carrying out violent attacks against Palestinians in an environment defined by a near-total lack of accountability and protection for the vulnerable population.

Meanwhile, the head of the Wall and Settlement Resistance Authority, Muayyad Shaaban, revealed that since the season began at the start of October, the IOF and settlers have carried out 158 attacks on olive harvesters across West Bank governorates.

Of these 158 attacks, Shaaban specified that 17 were carried out by the IOF, while settlers were responsible for 141; assaults involved physical violence, detentions, and preventing farmers from accessing or moving freely on their land, such as in the Tubas Governorate.

He also pointed out that the olive harvest is being systematically and intentionally targeted by the occupation because of its national symbolism, the historical connection between Palestinians and their land, and its significant economic, social, and cultural importance.

According to the "Israeli" newspaper Haaretz, 41 separate attacks by settlers on Palestinian olive harvesters in the West Bank have been documented this month.