RAMALLAH, Palestine

Illegal Israeli settlers shot and wounded a Palestinian man, 60, in the occupied West Bank’s Hebron governorate on Thursday, according to activists.

The attack occurred in the al-Rakiz area in eastern Yatta and targeted Sheikh Saeed Amour while he tended his land, said Hassan Malihat, general supervisor of the non-governmental Al-Baidar Organization for the Defense of Bedouin Rights.

Malihat said Amour sustained moderate injuries and was rushed to a hospital. Israeli forces, present at the scene, did not intervene to stop the assault or hold the illegal settlers accountable, he added in a statement.

Amour, a prominent community figure known for defending land rights, has faced repeated settler attacks and threats in the past, Malihat noted.

Palestinian reports estimate that the illegal settler population in the West Bank reached 770,000 by the end of 2024, spread across 180 settlements and 256 outposts, including 138 agricultural and pastoral outposts.

Tension has been high in the occupied West Bank, where more than 950 Palestinians have been killed and over 7,000 injured since the current onslaught in the Gaza Strip began in October 2023, according to Palestinian figures.

The International Court of Justice declared Israel’s longstanding occupation of Palestinian territories illegal in July, demanding the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.