RAMALLAH, Palestine / ISTANBUL 

Five Palestinians were injured Wednesday in two separate attacks by illegal Israeli settlers in the West Bank, while another group of illegal settlers set fire to agricultural land in the occupied territory, according to activists and local media.

Israeli settlers from the Otniel settlement attacked residents in the village of Khillet al-Farra, west of Yatta near Hebron, Osama Makhmara, an activist who documents Israeli violations, told reporters.

He added that the settlers “released their livestock and cattle into Palestinian-owned vineyards and fruit orchards, and near homes, before assaulting residents.”

The attack left three Palestinians with minor injuries that were treated on site, he said, adding that illegal settlers also opened fire toward villagers as they tried to repel the assault. No gunshot injuries were reported.

Earlier Wednesday, an elderly Palestinian man and woman were injured when illegal settlers attacked homes in the Shaab al-Batm area, east of Yatta, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society.

In the central West Bank, the official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that illegal settlers set fire to olive trees in the Turmus Ayya valley, northeast of Ramallah. The fire destroyed several fruit-bearing trees and caused financial losses for Palestinian farmers, the agency said.

According to the official Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission, Israeli forces and illegal settlers carried out 766 attacks against Palestinians, their homes, property and sources of livelihood across the West Bank in October.

Israeli attacks have escalated across the occupied West Bank since October 2023, killing more than 1,065 Palestinians and injuring nearly 10,000 others, according to Palestinian figures.

In a landmark opinion last July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.