Israeli settlers injure five Palestinians, group says

Israeli settlers injured five Palestinians in the West Bank village of Atara on Thursday, November 12, after the Israeli military dismantled settler outposts, the rights group Yesh Din said.

Yesh Din said dozens of settlers armed with clubs, tear gas and stones stormed the village after Israeli military forces left the area. It said five residents were injured and taken to hospital, including one person in serious condition with a brain hemorrhage.

The Palestinian Red Crescent said one of the injured people was 67 years old.

The Israeli military said it had removed tents, vehicles and temporary structures erected without permission by settlers in two outposts, including one near Atara. It said Israeli rioters barricaded themselves inside structures during the enforcement operation and were dispersed.

Abdelhadi Atari, an Atara resident and local journalist, said settlers broke into and vandalised Palestinian homes after the army arrived. He said the army had blocked the village from several directions ahead of the dismantling operation, which he said helped settlers attack inside the village.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967. More than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements there, all of which are deemed illegal under international law. Some outposts are also built without Israeli government approval.

The Israeli foreign ministry said on X that four outposts had been taken down over two days, adding: “The law applies to everyone.”