Palestinians injured in Israeli settler attacks across West Bank

Israeli settlers have intensified attacks across the occupied West Bank, injuring Palestinians and escalating violence. In one incident near Hebron, a 16-year-old boy was shot in the chest by Israeli forces and is in stable condition. Settlers also beat a 30-year-old man southeast of Bethlehem, who is receiving hospital treatment.

Further south, in the Hebron Hills, settlers attacked a family, stole their sheep, and assaulted residents before arresting seven people. These incidents are part of a broader surge in settler violence since Israel's war on Gaza began in 2023, which critics argue is emboldened by international inaction.

The United Nations reported an average of six settler attacks on Palestinians or their property daily this year, a record high. Concurrently, Israeli forces arrested 32 Palestinians across the West Bank on Thursday, including 13 in Beit Ummar. The UN Secretary-General expressed alarm over Israel granting city status to the illegal settlement of Givat Ze’ev, reiterating that all West Bank settlements violate international law and the International Court of Justice's advisory opinion ordering an end to the occupation.

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Israel’s administrative designation “does not alter Givat Ze’ev’s legal status under international law as part of the occupied Palestinian territory”.