RAMALLAH, Palestine 

A group of illegal Israeli settlers on Friday attacked a Palestinian town near Ramallah city in the central West Bank, vandalizing people’s properties.

Eyewitnesses told Anadolu that the illegal settlers attacked Palestinian homes in Beitin and set fire to agricultural land.

Israeli forces fired tear gas shells on Palestinians who were attempting to defend the area and their properties from the illegal settlers' attack, eyewitnesses said.

Earlier, illegal Israeli settlers burnt agricultural lands in the Burqa village, near Ramallah, village council head Sayel Kenan said.

He said the illegal settlers burned down 400 dunums (1,000 square meters) of land, the majority of which was planted with olive trees.

He said the illegal settlers attacked the town again and attempted to set Palestinian homes on fire, as well as a warehouse for old vehicles.

Israeli forces opened fire on a group of Palestinians who were trying to fend off the settlers' attack, he added.

In recent months, illegal Israeli settlers have escalated their rampage against Palestinians and their properties throughout the occupied West Bank, ranging from arson attacks, stone-throwing on Palestinians and their vehicles, crop and olive tree uprooting, home attacks, and livestock theft.

Tensions have been running high across the West Bank since Israel launched a deadly military offensive against the Gaza Strip after an attack by the Hamas group on Oct. 7, 2023.

At least 531 Palestinians have since been killed and nearly 5,000 others injured by Israeli army fire in the occupied territory, according to the Health Ministry.

Israel stands accused of “genocide” at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which in its latest ruling has ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its operation in Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar and Mohammad Sio