Dozens of masked settlers raided four Palestinian villages near Yitzhar on Saturday, according to Palestinian residents, who said attackers threw stones, vandalized homes and other property, set fires and stole livestock.
In the village of Huwara, residents said a Palestinian man was struck in the head and hospitalized, while footage from the village showed him bleeding from the head.
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Footage of settler and soldier violence in Huwara on Saturday
Footage of settler and soldier violence in Huwara on Saturday
Residents of the nearby village of Einabus reported settlers raided a home, while in neighboring Asira al-Qibliya settlers were seen moving through the village. Palestinians also reported a separate raid in the quarry between Asira al-Qibliya and the village of Urif.
The Palestinian Red Crescent said eight Palestinians were wounded, including five suffering from tear gas inhalation and one hit by rubber bullets during IDF intervention.
The IDF said troops were dispatched to the area to disperse clashes. A security source said the incident began after settlers reported that an Israeli sheep flock had been stolen.
The incidents follow the IDF’s dismissal of Yitzhar’s security coordinator on Tuesday for repeatedly exceeding his authority. Earlier this week, armed settlers disrupted Palestinian agricultural work coordinated with Israeli authorities, and settlers have since carried out a series of raids and arson attacks in the area.