Israeli settlers kill Palestinian in West Bank as they attack Palestinian villages
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Israeli settlers launched violent attacks on two Palestinian villages in the occupied West Bank, resulting in the tragic death of a 38-year-old man in Qarawat Bani Hassan. The Palestinian ambulance service reported that the victim was shot in the chest during a confrontation with settlers and Israeli soldiers.
The Israeli military responded to the incident, stating that live fire was used to disperse the clash between residents and settlers. Palestinians allegedly retaliated with fireworks, resulting in injuries to an Israeli and four Palestinians. The situation is under examination, and the incident has been handed over to the police, according to military sources.
In a separate incident near Nablus, approximately 15 settlers reportedly burned a car and vandalized a house in the village of Madama. The Israeli military has not yet provided official comments on this specific incident.
These attacks mark the latest in a series of violent incidents involving settlers and have drawn condemnation from world leaders, including U.S. President Joe Biden. The Biden administration is expected to impose visa bans on extremist settlers as a response to the escalating tensions.
The West Bank, a region crucial to the Palestinians for their envisioned independent state, has witnessed a surge in violence over recent months. This increase is attributed to the continuous expansion of Jewish settlements and the stagnation of U.S.-backed peace efforts over almost a decade.
The overall violence in the region has reached a more-than-15-year high this year, further exacerbated by Israel's invasion of Gaza in response to a deadly attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on October 7.
Human rights group Yesh Din, which monitors settler violence, reported at least 225 incidents in 93 Palestinian communities since the beginning of the conflict. Before the recent attack, at least nine Palestinians had lost their lives in such incidents.
In an additional tragic incident near Nablus, a 14-year-old Palestinian boy succumbed to his wounds after allegedly brandishing a knife at Israeli soldiers during a checkpoint encounter, as reported by Palestinian authorities. The Israeli military has not provided detailed comments on this incident at the time of reporting.