Illegal Settlers Attack Palestinians in West Bank

(MENAFN) Armed, illegal Israeli settlers attacked the Bedouin village of Ras Ein al-Auja, located north of Jericho in the occupied eastern West Bank, on Saturday.

Eyewitnesses and human rights organizations reported that the settlers vandalized Palestinian-owned properties during the assault.

Hassan Mleihat, the coordinator of the al-Baydar Organization for the Defense of Bedouin Rights, stated that armed settlers entered the village in groups with flocks of sheep.

The settlers grazed their animals near Palestinian homes, causing damage to properties and attempting to prevent residents from accessing their lands.

"Settler attacks on Bedouin communities have sharply escalated and now target every aspect of Bedouin life," Mleihat commented.

In another part of the Jordan Valley, settlers reportedly stole water pumps and destroyed crops in Khirbet al-Deir, according to witnesses who spoke with the media.

The Jordan Valley is located in the northeastern region of the occupied West Bank and is part of the Tubas governorate.

Since the beginning of the Israeli war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, illegal settlers have established 60 unauthorized outposts across the occupied West Bank. Of these, 51 were set up in 2024 alone, based on the Palestinian government's Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission.

The violence carried out by illegal settlers has forced 29 Palestinian communities to evacuate between October 7, 2023, and the end of 2024.

The commission reported that 311 families, comprising roughly 2,000 individuals, were displaced due to the settler violence.

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