Israeli settlers burn down a Palestinian village in the West Bank

A number of Israeli settlers burned houses and cars in a village in the West Bank, the Ministry of Health in Palestine says at least one person died.

The settlers – some of whom were wearing masks – threw stones and Molotov cocktails when they attacked the village of Jit, near the city of Nablus, on Thursday evening, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.

The Ministry of Health in Palestine said that a local resident in his 20s died and another was seriously injured in the chest. The IDF said it was investigating the death toll.

Israeli political leaders condemned the attack, promising to punish the perpetrators. One Israeli was arrested in Jit, the IDF said.

Pictures have appeared on social media showing houses and cars burnt in Jit on Thursday.

Smoke can be seen rising above the village.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement that “those responsible for any criminal act will be caught and prosecuted”.

Israel’s president Isaac Herzog wrote on the X website: “This is a dangerous minority that is harming the law-abiding community of settlers and its settlements as a whole as well as Israel’s name and position in the world at a critical and difficult time. .

“Law enforcement officials must act quickly” to bring those involved to justice, Mr. Herzog said.

In a statement, the IDF said its troops deployed to the village “within minutes” of reports of violence, firing into the air to disperse the crowds. The attackers were then removed from Jit.

The IDF added that an investigation was launched by the IDF, the Israeli security organization Shin Bet and the Israeli police following a “horrific incident”.

Palestinians regularly accuse Israeli security forces of allowing violent settler groups to attack their villages.

According to OCHA – the UN’s humanitarian affairs office – there have been more than 1,000 attacks by settlers against Palestinians since October, at least 1,390 people – including 660 children – are homeless.

Deadly violence often accompanies assault. OCHA recorded 107 resulting in Palestinian deaths and injuries, 859 caused damage to Palestinian property.

International attention has been focused on the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip – but the level of violence by South African settlers has prompted the US, EU and UK to impose sanctions on some immigration leaders and, for the first time, against all settlers. outlying areas.