Key facts
- Israeli settlers injured eight Palestinians in an attack in Khirbet Asafi, Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron.
- Settlers, under the protection of Israeli forces, attacked Palestinians attempting to steal sheep.
- Nine Palestinians, including four women, were injured in a separate incident in the Isfi al-Fawqa community.
- Israeli forces detained a 15-year-old during the attacks.
- Settler violence, including property damage and assaults, is routine in the West Bank and rarely prosecuted.
Israeli settlers injured eight Palestinians in an attack in Khirbet Asafi, in Masafer Yatta south of Hebron, the Palestinian Red Crescent reported. The incident occurred as settlers, often under the protection of Israeli forces, are seeking to displace Palestinian communities in the occupied West Bank.
In a related incident, Israeli colonists and occupation forces injured nine Palestinians, including four women, in the Isfi al-Fawqa community of Masafer Yatta. Activists stated that colonists attempted to steal sheep, and when community members resisted, they were attacked. Israeli forces detained a 15-year-old during the confrontation.
Further reports indicate that settlers, backed by Israeli forces, attacked Palestinian families and damaged property in other areas of Masafer Yatta, including Khirbet Susiya and Masafer Bani Na’im, where structures were set ablaze and livestock stolen. Israeli forces also conducted raids and assaulted residents in other West Bank towns, including Sinjil, and began demolishing buildings in Anza.
Palestinians have faced a surge in Israeli military and settler violence across the West Bank since October 2023. The UN has documented an unprecedented increase in settler attacks, raising concerns of 'ethnic cleansing' and permanent displacement of Palestinians.