Illegal Israeli settlers injure 2 foreign activists, 2 Palestinians in West Bank attack

- Palestine Red Crescent Society says its crews treated 2 foreign nationals, 71-year-old woman and 51-year-old man, and transported them to hospital for treatment

NABLUS, Palestine / ISTANBUL

Two foreign activists and two Palestinians were injured Friday in an attack by illegal Israeli settlers in the village of Qusra, south of Nablus in the northern West Bank, according to local and medical sources.

Local sources told Anadolu that a group of illegal settlers assaulted foreign activists who were present in the Ras al-Ain area of Qusra in solidarity with local residents.

The settlers beat the activists, causing injuries among them and the Palestinian residents.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society said in a statement that its crews treated two foreign nationals, a 71-year-old woman and a 51-year-old man, and transported them to a hospital for treatment. The statement did not specify their nationalities.

The society later said it handed the two activists over to Israeli emergency medical teams from Magen David Adom.

In a separate incident, illegal Israeli settlers set fire to Palestinian homes in the village of Jalud in the Nablus governorate, witnesses told Anadolu.

Residents said a group of settlers attacked houses with stones, attempted to break into them and later torched several homes, sparking panic among villagers.

Clashes erupted as residents tried to confront the attackers and defend their property. The extent of injuries and damage was not immediately clear. Witnesses said the assault took place while Israeli army vehicles were stationed at the entrance of the village

The incidents comes amid rising attacks by Israeli forces and settlers across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since the Gaza war began on Oct. 8, 2023. The operations have included killings, arrests, property damage, home demolitions, displacement, and settlement expansion.

The violence has killed at least 1,117 Palestinians, wounded about 11,500, and led to the arrest of nearly 22,000 others.

Palestinians warn that the actions could pave the way for Israel to formally annex the West Bank, effectively ending the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state as outlined in United Nations resolutions.

The international community and the UN consider the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, an occupied Palestinian territory and view Israeli settlements there as illegal under international law.

*Writing by Lina Altawell and Tarek Chouiref