ISTANBUL
The Israeli army said Tuesday that one of its soldiers was lightly injured after being struck by stones thrown by illegal Israeli settlers in the southern West Bank.
In a statement, the army said illegal Israeli settlers threw stones at soldiers who were carrying out an operation in an area near the Kiryat Arba settlement south of the West Bank.
It added that the soldier sustained minor injuries and received medical treatment at the scene.
The army said the incident occurred following an operation carried out by Israeli forces to remove illegal settlement structures built near an intersection in the Judea Brigade area in the southern West Bank.
It noted that the evacuation was conducted based on an order issued by the Central Command.
According to the statement, the forces came under what the army described as a “violent attack” after the evacuation, though no additional injuries were reported. Security forces detained several illegal Israeli settlers at the scene to transfer them to the police for further legal procedures.
The Israeli army said it views “any violence directed at its soldiers and commanders with utmost seriousness,” condemning such incidents.
About 3 million Palestinians live in the West Bank alongside more than 700,000 illegal Israeli settlers spread across hundreds of settlements and outposts, according to Palestinian and Israeli estimates.