Settlers Attack Palestinians, Burn Farmland Near Salfit
Two Palestinians were injured and bruised on Sunday evening in an attack by settlers in the northern West Bank. The settlers also set fire to Palestinian agricultural lands in the Wad al-Balat area.
According to Palestine TV, the two citizens, Mohammed Darwish and Nashat Ishtayeh, were assaulted and severely beaten by settlers while they were on their land in the Wad al-Sha'er area, east of Salfit. The extent of their injuries was not specified.
In a separate incident, the human rights organization Al-Bader stated that settlers set fire to Palestinian farmers' lands in Wad al-Balat, adjacent to the Ramallah-Nablus road. The organization reported that the targeted agricultural lands are sources of livelihood for the residents and sustained damage. Al-Bader warned of the danger of these continued attacks and called for the protection of farmers and their land.
The Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission reported 628 settler attacks in August alone. In June, 14 UN special rapporteurs warned that the sharp rise in settler violence, with Israeli state support and complicity, poses an existential threat to Palestinian communities. Official Palestinian data indicates that approximately 750,000 settlers live in 194 settlements and 400 outposts in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
