A surge of violence erupted in the occupied West Bank as over 100 Israeli settlers launched an attack on Jalud village, preventing a Palestinian family from returning home. The family, belonging to the Tubasi family, had been staying elsewhere in the village after two of their houses were seized by settlers weeks ago. The Israeli military had agreed to escort them back home late on Monday night and protect them from the settlers.
The settlers descended upon the homes around ten minutes after the family arrived, setting the homes on fire, blocking access roads, and hurling rocks toward Israeli officers. Three Israeli soldiers were injured in the clashes, according to the Israeli military. The mission to return the family to their homes was not completed due to the violence, the military said. Troops had the Palestinians go up to the roof when the settlers broke in but then evacuated them as the clashes intensified.
The incident highlights the Israeli military's failure to rein in settlers emboldened by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right government. The government has overseen an expansion of settlements and settler outposts in the West Bank, drawing international condemnation. Netanyahu strongly condemned the violence and called on law enforcement to prosecute those responsible.
Wael Tubasi, who owns one of the two homes, described the damage caused by the settlers. He said the homes "were damaged beyond description", with doors, tiles, and stairs removed, and bathrooms, doors, and windows smashed. Reuters journalists visited the homes on Tuesday afternoon and observed the damage, with walls stained with tar and residue from tyres set ablaze by the settlers.
The Israeli military said its forces had arrested two settlers and launched an investigation into the incident. The Tubasi family was not present when Reuters journalists visited the homes, but around half a dozen Israeli soldiers were patrolling the area. The incident is part of a larger pattern of settler violence and land seizures in the West Bank.
The violence is not isolated to Jalud village. Elsewhere in the West Bank on Tuesday, settlers set fire to cars in the village of Al Mughayyir and spray-painted the word "revenge" on the outside of an apartment building. Moussa Mohammed Hamdan, a resident of Al Mughayyir, said the settlers destroy anything that can hurt them, including cars, livestock, and olive trees.
The Israeli military's response to the incident has been criticized by Israeli and Palestinian rights groups, who say settler perpetrators are rarely punished for violence. The incident has sparked international concern, with many calling for an end to the violence and a return to peace negotiations.
Key points
- Over 100 Israeli settlers attacked Jalud village in West Bank.
- The settlers prevented a Palestinian family from returning home and clashed with Israeli troops.
- The incident highlights the Israeli military's failure to rein in settlers emboldened by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right government.
