Six Palestinians Injured in Clashes with Settlers Near Ramallah Village

Six Palestinians were injured on Saturday during clashes in the village of Umm Safa, northwest of Ramallah, following reports of a confrontation between settlers and Palestinians. According to Palestinian sources, the violence began when settlers entered the outskirts of the village, attacked residents, and stole four sheep. Marwan Sabbah, the local council head, stated that villagers who tried to prevent the theft clashed with the settlers, after which Israeli military forces arrived and used crowd control measures. Sabbah reported that three Palestinians were wounded by rubber bullets and three others during the clashes with settlers.

The Israeli military presented a different account, saying they responded to a report of Israeli civilians entering the village outskirts while pursuing a lost sheep herd. The army said its forces arrived to evacuate the civilians, but were met with an aggressive crowd, including some Palestinians who attacked the soldiers. The military said it used crowd dispersal methods and fired a few warning shots into the air, successfully evacuating all Israeli civilians from the village area.

Sabbah also noted that Umm Safa has recently faced "real eviction pressures" due to the establishment of outposts around the village and restrictions on access to agricultural lands. The northwest Ramallah area has seen an increase in friction and clashes between Palestinians and Israelis in recent times.