Israeli settlers attack Palestinian village after deadly Hamas attack

Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian towns in the occupied West Bank overnight on Tuesday, setting buildings and cars on fire in apparent retaliation for the killing of four Israelis by Hamas near a settlement the day before, residents and officials said. Yaqoub Oweis, chairman of Al-Lubban Al-Sharqeya village council, said a large group of settlers carried out the attacks, while Israeli soldiers and police stood by, burning a gas station, orchards, a cement factory and dozens of cars. “The attack was unprecedented and abnormal,” he declared. “There was heavy gunfire, but we couldn’t tell if it was coming from the settlers or the soldiers because of the darkness.” Attacks were also reported in other West Bank cities and towns. The latest wave of violence, after days of relative calm, underscores the volatility of Israeli-occupied territory, where for more than a year the military has conducted regular sweeps leading to repeated clashes with Palestinian fighters. Palestinians have repeatedly complained about attacks by settlers in the West Bank, an issue that has attracted growing international concern, particularly after unrest in the city of Huwara earlier this year. The late-night attacks came hours after two gunmen fired into a roadside restaurant and gas station near the settlement of Eli, killing four Israelis in an action that Hamas – the Islamist group that governs Gaza – said was a response to a major Israeli operation in the city of Jenin on Monday (19). *Reproduction of this content is prohibited

Agência Brasil