Jerusalem [Israel], January 21: Dozens of Israeli settlers raided Palestinian villages in the occupied West Bank Monday night, attacking residents, torching property, and sparking clashes with local Palestinians, according to Israeli sources.
According to Israeli sources, the settlers, numbering around 50, set fire to buildings and vehicles in the villages of Al Funduq and Jinsafut, east of the West Bank city of Qalqilya, while also hurling stones at Palestinians. Video footage shared on social media showed several fires burning in a village and the sound of gunfire in the background.
Israel's Magen David Adom rescue service reported that two Israelis were injured by gunshot, with one of them being in a critical condition. It was not immediately clear what caused the gunfire, but Israel's state-owned Kan TV reported that the two settlers were apparently shot by an Israeli police officer in error during the chaos. The incident was still under investigation.
It was not immediately known if there were casualties among Palestinians.
The Israeli military released a statement saying that military and Border Police forces were dispatched to the area after receiving reports of riots.
The official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that homes, vehicles, and shops had been set ablaze, saying that the settlers raided the area under the protection of Israeli forces, targeting buildings along the Qalqilya-Nablus main road.
The violence came a day after settlers raided several Palestinian villages in the West Bank, according to Israeli and Palestinian sources. In Singil and Turmus Ayya, settlers set fire to homes and vehicles. In Funduq, settlers blocked Palestinian movement and the entrance to the village, where arson was also reported.
The incident occurred amid escalating tensions in the West Bank, as Israel continues daily raids in Palestinian cities and towns, often resulting in Palestinian casualties. It came a day after a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas went into effect, halting more than 15 months of an Israeli onslaught in Gaza.
Source: Xinhua
