Israeli army and settlers injure 19 Palestinians in West Bank attacks

Palestinians in the occupied West Bank are facing escalating violence and displacement, with Israeli military raids and attacks by settlers resulting in numerous injuries and confiscations.

Recent incidents include Israeli forces shooting three Palestinians near the separation wall in ar-Ram as they attempted to enter occupied East Jerusalem. In the Tubas Governorate, Israeli army raids led to tear gas inhalation among at least 11 Palestinians, including four children, according to the Palestine Red Crescent Society. In Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron, armed settlers reportedly beat an elderly man, and Israeli forces subsequently raided his home, damaging property and confiscating phones.

Further violence was reported near Jenin, where two young men were hospitalized after being beaten by settlers in Arrabeh. A 15-year-old boy also required hospitalization following a severe beating by settlers in Tammun, Tubas province. These attacks occurred just days after Israeli forces and settlers killed two Palestinians in separate incidents in Hebron and Jenin.

The report details ongoing settler pressure, with families in Qusra remaining besieged in their homes for two weeks by settlers, under the watch of Israeli forces who have declared the area a closed military zone. Residents accuse the army of complicity through inaction, potentially facilitating forced displacement. According to the Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission, Israeli settlers now number around 780,000 across the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The UN humanitarian affairs office has recorded over 1,330 settler-related attacks this year, averaging six daily, and more than 2,300 Palestinians have been forced from their homes due to settler violence or associated restrictions.