Israel settlers carry out 144 attacks on Palestinians in West Bank

Israeli settlers carried out 144 attacks against Palestinian civilians and their properties in the occupied West Bank in the early hours of Sunday morning, according to reports.

The settlers hurled stones, partially damaging 120 vehicles on roads, and set fire to six vehicles in Nablus, Ghassan Daghlas, a Palestinian official who monitors Israeli settlement activities in the district, told the Palestinian WAFA news agency.

The reports come amid an ongoing wave of violence following the new far-right Israeli government’s entry to power, which has seen Israeli forces kill at least 32 Palestinians in 2023 alone.

Most of the settlers’ attacks focused on the towns and villages of Madama, Qusra, Jorish, Majdal Bani Fadel and Huwwara – where they targeted at least 22 Palestinian-owned shops, according to Daghlas.

The Palestinian Authority has said Israel is responsible for the escalation of violence in the West Bank and Jerusalem, where hundreds of Palestinians have been killed or wounded since early last year in near-daily Israeli raids.

Israeli forces killed nine Palestinians during a deadly massacre in the West Bank’s Jenin on Thursday and proceeded to bomb the besieged Gaza Strip on Friday morning, causing the destruction of several properties. No injuries were reported.

Palestinian officials accused Israel of not committing to peace efforts and violating international law, according to Wafa.

Rights groups, including Amnesty International, said Israel had institutionalised "systematic" abuse against Palestinians on a level amounting to the "crime of apartheid".

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu returned to power in Israel at the helm of a right-wing extremist government last month, after spending a year in opposition.

Since the far-right bloc of parties led by Netanyahu won elections in November, there had been worries that violence and oppression against Palestinians would increase.