RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — Israeli settlers rampaged through multiple Palestinian villages overnight Saturday and into Sunday, smashing cars, setting fires and wounding several men in the latest flare-up of violence in the occupied West Bank.
The official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported attacks in at least six communities on Sunday. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said at least three Palestinians in the village of Jalud suffered head wounds from beatings and were hospitalized after confronting settlers, who were also reported injured.
The violence came as Israel's government presses ahead withnew settlementsin the occupied West Bank. Attacks by settlers have intensified alongside a broader surge in violence since the Iran war started.
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Israel's military said it responded to Israeli civilians carrying out "arson against structures and property, as well as engaging in disturbances in the area," but did not report any arrests or indicate whether investigations were opened.
WAFA reported attacks in the villages of Silat al Dahr and Fandaqumiya, both near Jenin; in Jalud and Salfit, both south of Nablus; and in the agricultural regions Masafer Yatta and the Jordan Valley. Homes and cars were set ablaze, Palestinians were pepper-sprayed and at least five people were wounded in the overnight assaults, which took place during the Eid al-Fitr holiday marking the end of Ramadan, the agency said.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported 25 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli settlers and soldiers this year as of March 15. The Palestinian Authority has also documented a series of arson attacks, including on mosques, across the territory.
The rampage came one day after an 18-year-old settler was killed in a collision with a Palestinian vehicle in an area near two of the villages attacked. Police said they were investigating the settlers' claims that the collision was deliberate.