Ramallah – SABA:
The National Office for Land Defense and Settlement Resistance reported on Saturday that Israeli settlers have committed more than 5,350 violations against Palestinians in the West Bank over the past ten years.
According to the Palestinian Safa News Agency, the report stated that settler violence in the West Bank occurs with full protection from the Israeli occupation army. Over the past decade, settlers have carried out over 5,350 violent incidents, targeting Palestinians and their properties in various ways.
The violations ranged from throwing stones at Palestinians, their homes, and vehicles to setting fire to houses, businesses, farms, and other private properties.
The report further noted that other forms of violations include settlers cutting down olive trees, destroying water infrastructure, stealing livestock, and killing or driving them away using different methods.
It also highlighted a rise in firearm-related violence, especially following October 7, 2023.
The report stated that the Israeli army has mobilized so-called "regional defense battalions" in the West Bank on a large scale, accelerating the recruitment of over 5,500 reserve settlers.
According to the report, the ongoing war in Gaza has provided an opportunity to advance the settlers' agenda of forcing Palestinians out of their villages.
It further pointed out that numerous reports include testimonies from soldiers, revealing how settlers actively participate in enforcing military rule over Palestinians, giving orders to soldiers, and influencing army decisions. Additionally, familial ties and access to classified information are exploited to obstruct law enforcement actions against settlers.
Left-wing Zionist activists have reported that the Israeli army itself leaks information to settlers, coordinating with them to track and prevent Palestinian olive harvesters from accessing their lands, despite having prior coordination, according to the report.
In February alone, the Israeli occupation army carried out 1,475 attacks, while settlers committed 230 attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank, according to a report from the Commission for Resistance Against the Wall and Settlements.
The majority of the attacks were concentrated in the following governorates:
- Nablus (North West Bank): 300 attacks
- Al-Khalil (South): 267 attacks
- Ramallah (Central West Bank): 263 attacks
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