Israeli settlers burned hundreds of dunums of land in a village in the occupied West Bank on Friday, while Israeli forces suppressed a Palestinian march elsewhere in the territory.
Settlers from the Yitzhar settlement burned at least 700 dunams (around 173 acres) of land in the northern area of the Palestinian village of Einabus, including thousands of olive trees, the village’s council head told The New Arab’s sister site.
The fires went on for several hours as Palestinian firefighting crews were delayed from reaching the areas affected because of the settlers, Fayez al-Saada told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.
Translation: Settlers set fire to hundreds of dunums of land in the village of Einabus, south of Nablus
Ghassan Douglas, a Palestinian official who monitors Israeli settlements in the West Bank’s north, reiterated the damage caused by the blaze, and said it was not the first of its kind targeting Palestinian properties in the area.
In the village of Kafr Qaddum, two young Palestinian man were wounded by bullets on Friday as Israeli forces suppressed a weekly march against settlements.
Palestinians reportedly clashed with Israeli soldiers and burned tires, in a protest which has gone on weekly for years to oppose the closure of a main route in the village, east of Qalqilya.
Israeli forces fired live bullets and tear gas towards the protesters, local sources confirmed to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.
Translation: Kafr Qaddum – Palestine, Friday 28/7/2023
Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967 with Palestinians living under effective military rule and a nexus of Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territory creating further misery for civilians.
There are more than 700,000 settlers residing in the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem. Most of the international community deems Israel's settlements in these territories illegal, and Israel’s hardline government has vowed to push forward with expanding them despite pressure from allies.
More than 200 Palestinians – in occupied territories and in the besieged Gaza Strip - have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers since the start of 2023, according to a tally by the Palestinian Information Center.