As Ramadan begins, Israeli settlers increase attacks on Palestinian villages in occupied West Bank

Israeli settlers injured two Palestinians, including a three-month-old child and torched a car early on Wednesday in the village of Burin, southwest of Nablus.

The attack was followed by a wave of house searches by Israeli forces throughout the night, local sources told The New Arab.

"The occupation army forces had been present in the eastern part of the village, and just after the Ramadan breakfast, a group of at least 60 settlers entered the area in front of the occupation soldiers", a farmer and resident of Burin who asked not to be named told TNA.

Breaking | Israeli settlers attack the village of Burin, setting fire to Palestinian vehicles and homes, south of Nablus. pic.twitter.com/L4uX6HZ1LT

— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) March 12, 2024

"Settlers attacked a parked car and set it on fire while attacking citizens in the place, injuring a 35-year-old man and his three-month-old daughter", said the resident. "They were lightly injured but were taken to the hospital for examination".

"The soldiers stood watching, and after the settler attack ended, the soldiers began to search houses across the village, raiding several houses and taking shifts throughout the night and then left at 3:00 in the morning", they added.

The attack is the latest in a string of settler violence in the region, of which Burin has been a main target in recent months.

Israeli occupation troops attacked the family of Palestinian man Bassam Al-Nawajeha and arrested his sons while they were breaking their fast in Khelt Al-Farra in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron. pic.twitter.com/1GysTEaC6F

— PALESTINE ONLINE 🇵🇸 (@OnlinePalEng) March 12, 2024

"Since 7 October, settler attacks have become almost daily in Burin, to the point that children attend classes online five days per week because the school is very close to the road where settlers and occupation forces pass-through", noted the resident.

"Wednesday was supposed to be the day when children attend classes at the school, but because of the settler attack, classes were suspended, and the atmosphere in the village is still very tense", they added.

Israeli settler violence has increased to an unprecedented level since 7 October. On Monday, Israeli settlers injured three Palestinians in Masafer Yatta in the southern Hebron hills. Last week, Israeli settlers torched several cars in the village of Burqa, west of Nablus.

"Settler violence has seen a dramatic spike after 7 October, especially in the countryside of Nablus, the Jordan Valley and Masafer Yatta", Jamal Jumaa, coordinator for the Palestinian grassroots campaign against Israeli settlements and the wall - Stop The Wall, told TNA.

"These attacks are systematic and government-supported, and they aim at squeezing Palestinians out of rural areas that are critical for Israeli settlement expansion", he said.

In February, the US imposed sanctions on four Israeli settlers for their involvement in violent attacks against Palestinians.

Israeli media later warned that government entities could be affected by the sanctions as they sponsor settlement projects carried out by the sanctioned individuals. Palestinian settlements expert Khalil Tafakji told TNA that US sanctions were 'not remotely enough', as the state itself sponsors settlers and their attacks.

In early February, Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich said that settler violence "is an antisemitic lie aimed at smearing the reputation of the state of Israel".

According to the official Palestinian Settlements and Wall Resistance Commission, Israeli settlement violence has entirely expelled 25 Palestinian rural communities since 7 October.