Israeli settlers attack Palestinian towns, set fire to vehicles and injure several residents of the West Bank.
Israeli settlers have set fire to vehicles and buildings under the protection of Israeli forces and have also injured several Palestinians throughout the West Bank.
Jalal Bashir, head of Jinasfut village council, told Wafa news agency on Monday evening that the attacks took place in Jinasfut and Funduq villages, east of Qalqilya.
He also said dozens of Israeli settlers attacked Jinasfut and set fire to three homes, a kindergarten and a workshop. The settlers also set fire to several vehicles owned by Palestinian residents.
One Palestinian received a head injury while trying to defend his home. Several others were being treated after inhaling tear gas fired by Israeli soldiers.
In the Southern West Bank, Israeli settlers also attacked a Palestinian home in the Masafer Yatta area. Dozens of settlers attacked Palestinian vehicles with stones south of Hebron, damaging several of them.
Yesh Din, which monitors human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory, shared video clips showing Palestinian-owned vehicles and a building in flames from earlier settler attacks.
#Interrogation? Not in the West Bank
Tonight, dozens of settlers are attacking Palestinian towns across the West Bank.
In Sinjil village – settlers set fire to two homes and at least four vehicles.
In the village of Ein Siniya – settlers attacked and set fire to homes.
In… pic.twitter.com/nZ24wiEK5B— Yesh Din English (@Yesh_Din) January 19, 2025
According to the group, settlers set fire to two Palestinian homes and burned at least four vehicles in the town of Sinjil, which is northeast of Ramallah. In the village of Ein Siniya, settlers attacked and set fire to homes, north of Ramallah. He said settlers attacked and damaged Palestinian-owned buildings in Turmus Aya, northeast of Ramallah, and threw stones at vehicles on Route 60, near al-Lubban Asharqiya , south of Nablus.
The attacks by Israeli settlers come as US President Donald Trump signed an order on Monday to reimpose US sanctions on them in the occupied West Bank. The Biden administration described them as part of the “Extreme Settlement Movement”.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Palestine also expressed fear of the “wave of renewed violence” by Israeli settlers and armed forces in the occupied West Bank.
“The UN Human Rights Office is alarmed by a wave of renewed violence by settlers and Israeli security forces in the occupied West Bank, at the same time as the implementation of the Gaza ceasefire agreement,” he said. in a statement.
.@OHCHR_Palestine alarmed by a wave of renewed violence perpetrated by Israeli settlers and security forces on the people #Western Bankcoincide with the implementation of the Gaza ceasefire agreement and the release of hostages and detainees. Attached is…
– UN Human Rights Palestine (@OHCHR_Palestine) January 20, 2025
The OHCHR also said that the violence was accompanied by reinforced restrictions on Palestinian freedom of movement, including the closing of checkpoints and the installation of new gates, resulting in entire communities being locked in.
Reflecting a number of recent settler attacks on Palestinian towns as well as Monday's attack in several West Bank towns by Israeli forces, which killed a Palestinian teenager, the OHCHR also said it was concerned about Israel's plans to to expand and increase operations in the Palestinian territory.
