West Bank settler attacks draw Netanyahu condemnation

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned what he called “criminal acts of violence” after dozens of Israeli settlers attacked the Palestinian village of Qusra in the northern occupied West Bank on Saturday, residents and the Israeli military said.

Netanyahu said the violence in Qusra and nearby Jalud was carried out by “a handful of rioters” who were violating the law, interfering with the Israeli military and harming Israel's standing in the world. President Isaac Herzog also condemned the attack in Qusra, and Israel's foreign ministry called the violence “a disgrace”.

Qusra resident Yussef Abdul Kareem Hassan told AFP that villagers were working on a house when a small group of settlers approached. He said the settlers called for reinforcements, returned with dozens more people, surrounded Palestinians inside the house and began throwing stones.

The Israeli military said soldiers and border police were sent after reports that Israeli rioters had arrived in the area and that violent clashes had occurred, including stone-throwing toward Palestinians and other civilians. It said forces found dozens of rioters barricaded inside a Palestinian home while Palestinian residents were inside.

The military said forces worked to remove the settlers from the house, separate the groups and confiscate vehicles suspected of being used to reach the area. It said it was aware of reports of Palestinian injuries and that a police investigation had been opened.

In nearby Jalud, NBC News said masked settlers attacked and injured members of its reporting team and a Palestinian woman it had gone to interview.

Earlier in August, a group of settlers began blocking supplies from entering Palestinian homes on the outskirts of Qusra, near Nablus, trapping residents inside and drawing unusually strong criticism from the US ambassador.

Violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank has persisted for years, often with little or no legal consequence, and recent months have seen a surge in attacks. More than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements in the West Bank, among about three million Palestinians. The settlements are illegal under international law. Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967.

According to an AFP tally based on Palestinian health ministry data, Israeli forces or settlers have killed at least 1,103 Palestinians in the West Bank, including militants and civilians, since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023. Israeli figures show at least 48 Israelis, including civilians and security personnel, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations in the same period.