Israeli settlers attack villages in West Bank, several injured

Israeli settlers have attacked two Bedouin villages in the West Bank, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said on Saturday.

The aid organization said one attack targeted a settlement east of Ramallah which had already been abandoned by some of the 25 families living there due to previous raids.

Five of the remaining residents were injured in the attack, the PRCS said.

In addition, seven people were injured in a second incident in a village east of Bethlehem.

The Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that the settlers had tried to set fire to houses.

They also killed some of the villagers’ goats and sheep, which are central to their livelihood.

The Israeli military did not initially comment on the reports.

The situation in the occupied West Bank has worsened since the October 7, 2023, attacks by the Palestinian militant group Hamas and the ensuing war in Gaza.

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, more than 920 Palestinians have since been killed in the West Bank in Israeli military operations, armed clashes and attacks by extremists.

There has also been increased violence by radical Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians.