RAMALLAH/GAZA, Jun 22 (NNN-WAFA) – Palestinians yesterday condemned a series of attacks by Israeli settlers in the West Bank, that left one Palestinian dead and dozens injured.
Witnesses said, hundreds of Israeli settlers launched an attack against the Palestinians on Tuesday afternoon, in the town of Turmus Ayya, northeast of Ramallah, “under the protection of the Israeli army.” The settlers set fire to homes and vehicles, causing chaos, destruction.
Lafi Adib, the mayor of Turmus Ayya, said that, around 400 Israeli settlers participated in the attack and burned 30 houses, while residents, including women and children, were still inside.
Additionally, they destroyed 60 vehicles and farmland cultivated with various crops, he said, adding that, some of the armed settlers fired shots at several houses.
Witnesses also noted that residents of Turmus Ayya responded by throwing stones.
According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, one Palestinian was fatally shot in the chest, and 12 others sustained injuries from both the settlers and the soldiers, with one individual in critical condition.
The Israeli army has not yet commented on the incident, although Israel Radio reported that an Israeli soldier had opened fire during clashes in Turmus Ayya, resulting in several Palestinian injuries.
Palestinian Prime Minister, Mohammed Ishtaye strongly condemned the “barbaric attacks” perpetrated by Israeli settlers against Palestinian citizens and the destruction of their homes and property.
He emphasised that, allowing settlers to engage in such acts under the protection of the Israeli army “is a recipe for destruction, for which everyone will pay the price.”
In Gaza, the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) released a statement denouncing the attacks on Turmus Ayya and the West Bank towns and villages as “a heinous crime.”
Hamas assured that these acts would not intimidate the Palestinian people, vowing to respond with steadfastness and resistance.
With over half a million Israeli settlers residing in the West Bank, occupied by Israel since 1967, alongside 3.2 million Palestinians, confrontations between the two sides have often escalated into violent clashes.
The tense atmosphere between Israelis and the Palestinians in the West Bank has persisted since early Jan, leading to the loss of 24 Israeli lives in attacks by Palestinians, while official figures indicate that 175 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli gunfire in the West Bank.– NNN-WAFA
