Injuries from Settler Gunfire and Displacement of Bedouin Families in Widespread West Bank Attacks

Three Palestinian citizens, including a child, were injured today, Saturday, as a result of a series of attacks carried out by Israeli settlers in various areas of the central and southern occupied West Bank. The most severe attacks were concentrated in Al-Mughayyir village, northeast of Ramallah, where settlers directly fired live ammunition at residents.

Ameen Abu Alia, head of the local council of Al-Mughayyir village, confirmed that the attack resulted in a young man being shot in the back, with his injuries described as critical, in addition to another child being injured. He pointed out that the southern part of the village witnessed severe tension with continuous gunfire from settler groups targeting citizens and their properties.

In a related context, medical sources at the Palestinian Red Crescent Society reported that a citizen sustained injuries and bruises after being severely beaten by settlers in the Masafer Yatta area, south of Hebron. The sources stated that Israeli army forces obstructed the access of ambulance crews to the injured person, which delayed the provision of necessary treatment on the field.

The attacks were not limited to physical injuries but also extended to the destruction of agricultural property, as settlers grazed their sheep in the fields of Al-Mughayyir village and destroyed crops. This incident comes just days after settlers threw stones at citizens' vehicles at the entrance to the village, causing significant material damage to Palestinian property.

In a serious field development, 11 Palestinian families in the Bedouin community of 'Al-Khalayel' east of Ramallah began dismantling their homes, which consist of tin shacks and tents. This forced step came as a result of continuous pressure and attacks by settlers and the occupation army, which made staying in the area impossible, prompting the families to seek refuge in other areas.

Citizen Mustafa Kaabneh, one of the displaced residents of the community, explained that the families began removing their tents early in the morning to leave their lands, which they had inhabited for many years. He affirmed that the escalating pace of coordinated attacks between the army and settlers clearly aims to empty pastoral areas of their original inhabitants for the sake of settlement expansion.

In Hebron city, groups of settlers stormed the alleys of the Old City under heavy protection from Israeli occupation forces this evening. Local sources reported that the incursion involved provocations against Palestinian citizens and the closure of some entrances to secure the movement of settlers, which increased the state of tension in the city, which already suffers from severe military restrictions.

Official statistics indicate an unprecedented escalation in the pace of violence in the West Bank since October 2023, where attacks by the occupation and its settlers have resulted in the martyrdom of 1,116 Palestinians. Medical teams also recorded injuries to approximately 11,500 others with varying degrees of severity, amid a complex security environment imposed by daily checkpoints and incursions.

The widespread arrest campaigns launched by the occupation forces continue in various cities and refugee camps of the West Bank, with the number of detainees reaching nearly 22,000 Palestinians since the beginning of the recent escalation. These arrests coincide with demolition and displacement policies targeting the Palestinian presence in areas classified as 'C', threatening to further ignite the field situation.

The situation is very bad; gunfire continues in the southern part of the village, and there are injuries, including a child and a young man in critical condition.