Palestinian leadership has called for immediate international intervention to provide protection for the Palestinian people, following what it describes as organized terrorism by settler gangs in the West Bank. Presidential spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh stated that the attacks, which occurred in Jenin, Nablus, Jerusalem, and Hebron, represent a dangerous escalation of violence.
Details of the Attacks
According to Abu Rudeineh, the assaults included attacks on homes and residents, burning of agricultural land, uprooting and destruction of olive trees, damage to private property, and seizure of water sources. He emphasized that these actions were carried out with the direct protection and support of the Israeli army, which continues its daily policy of killing in the Gaza Strip.
Abu Rudeineh warned that the situation could spiral out of control without international intervention. He said: "We call upon the international community, particularly the US administration, to take concrete steps to compel the occupying power to abide by international law and UN resolutions, and to cease its ongoing crimes, whether committed by the occupation army or by terrorist colonists."
Link to Gaza Conflict
Abu Rudeineh holds the Israeli government responsible for the deteriorating situation, arguing that the settler attacks are inseparable from what he described as the ongoing genocide and forced displacement in Gaza. He claims these actions aim to undermine the Palestinian national project and impose a colonial reality, violating international law and UN Security Council Resolution 2334.
He warned that the region remains on the brink of disaster due to the continuation of war and chaos resulting from the occupation's policies and its failure to adhere to Arab, international, and legal legitimacy.
Injuries in Umm Safa
Local officials reported that three Palestinians were injured by rubber-coated metal bullets on Saturday after Israeli forces intervened during an attack by Israeli colonists on the village of Umm Safa, northwest of Ramallah. Marwan Sabbah, head of the Umm Safa Village Council, told the Palestine News Agency that Israeli colonists entered the outskirts of the village and stole four sheep before residents confronted them. Israeli forces then arrived and fired rubber-coated metal bullets, injuring three people.
Sabbah warned that Umm Safa is facing a systematic campaign of forced displacement, noting that the village has become surrounded by Israeli outposts and residents cannot access their agricultural land due to repeated colonist attacks. Areas northwest of Ramallah have seen a sustained increase in attacks, including land leveling, land seizures, and assaults under the protection of Israeli forces.
Attacks in Bethlehem and Yatta
Also on Saturday, two Palestinians were injured in an attack by Israeli settlers in the Khalayel Al-Loz area, southeast of Bethlehem. The Palestine Red Crescent Society reported that its crews treated two people who had been sprayed with pepper spray by Israeli colonists. The victims were transferred to hospital for further treatment.
In the southern West Bank, Israeli settlers, under the protection of Israeli forces, attacked Khirbet Al-Homs, south of Yatta. A WAFA correspondent reported that dozens of settlers assaulted the Abed Al-Masri family, leaving two Palestinians with bruises and others suffering from tear gas inhalation. Israeli forces detained local resident Samir Abed, who was injured during the attack, along with several international solidarity activists supporting residents.
