ISTANBUL 

Israeli forces on Monday detained Palestinian Culture Minister Imad Hamdan and members of his delegation during a visit to Kafr Ni’ma, west of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, local media said.

The incident followed an assault by illegal Israeli settlers on the minister’s staff, according to the official news agency Wafa.

The outlet said illegal settlers beat ministry employees, blocked their access to a youth village in Kafr Ni’ma and seized their identity cards and mobile phones.

Hamdan told Wafa the “arrogant practices” by Israeli forces and settlers “will only strengthen our determination to support these youth initiatives and to continue cultural activities despite all the obstacles and challenges imposed by the occupation.”

Illegal settlers carried out 466 attacks against Palestinians and their property across the West Bank in July alone, resulting in the death of four people and the forced displacement of two Bedouin communities comprising 50 Palestinian families, according to the Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission.

At least 1,014 Palestinians have been killed and more than 7,000 injured in the West Bank by Israeli forces and illegal settlers since October 2023, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.

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