Israeli veterans say settler attacks on Palestinian village a ‘routine in hell’
Breaking the Silence, a rights group formed by veterans of Israel’s armed forces that now monitor abuses of Palestinians in the occupied territory, said the deadly attack by Israeli settlers on the West Bank village of Kafr Malek followed a “routine”.
- First, the settlers arrived and destroyed Palestinian property on Wednesday and shot at residents.
- Then the Israeli military arrived close on the heels of the settlers.
- When Palestinian residents of the town attempted to protect their homes and families from attack, they were then shot by the military.
“Routine in hell,” is how the rights group described the play of events.
Three Palestinians were killed in the attack on Kafr Malek, and five settlers held as suspects in the violence have been freed without charge by Israeli police, according to reports.
Israeli settlers clash with Palestinians near Nablus holy site
Israeli settlers have clashed with Palestinians near Joseph’s Tomb, east of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, according to the Live Quds news outlet.
Joseph’s Tomb – a holy site in Judaism, Islam and Christianity – is a regular flashpoint as Israeli soldiers routinely escort settlers through the Palestinian city to reach the religious monument.
Israeli settlers stormed Nablus holy site without military protection: Reports
Earlier, we reported that Israeli settlers had clashed with Palestinians near the holy site of Joseph’s Tomb, east of Nablus in the occupied West Bank. Israeli media now reports that the settlers stormed the area without prior coordination with the military and they were not protected by an official escort, as is often the case.
The settlers and the Palestinian residents of the city threw stones at each other, with several Israelis sustaining minor injuries before being removed by Palestinian Authority police, according to Israel’s Walla news site.
The settlers involved are reportedly members of the Shuvu Bonim cult, led by convicted sex offender Rabbi Eliezer Berland, according to The Times of Israel.
At least 23 Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians recorded in one week: UN
In the seven-day period between June 17 and 23, the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said it documented at least 23 attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinians that resulted in casualties, property damage or both.
The attacks left one Palestinian man dead and 14 injured, OCHA said.
Arson, killing, and vandalism of sapling trees – mostly olive – were recorded during the attacks carried out on Palestinian communities across the occupied West Bank, the UN agency said.
