Rights Group Reports Settler Raids on Two West Bank Villages

Rights Group Reports Settler Raids on Two West Bank Villages
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Illegal Israeli settlers raided two Palestinian villages in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, destroying farmland and detaining residents, according to the rights group Al-Baydar, as reported by Anadolu Agency. The organization said settlers, accompanied by Israeli police, entered Al-Maliha village west of East Jerusalem, where several Palestinians were held briefly before being released.

In a separate incident, settlers cut down fruit-bearing trees in the agricultural lands of Firasin village, north of Tulkarem. Al-Baydar said the farmland has long served as a vital source of income for local families and warned that the recurring attacks form part of a broader pattern of pressure on Palestinian farmers, undermining their economic security.

The Palestinian government’s Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission reported that since October 2023, settlers have carried out more than 7,100 attacks across the West Bank, resulting in the deaths of 33 Palestinians and the displacement of 33 communities.

The commission added that combined settler and Israeli military actions have killed at least 1,072 Palestinians and injured around 10,700 others. In July, the International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion declaring Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories unlawful and calling for the removal of all settlements.