ISTANBUL 

Israeli settlers sexually assaulted a Palestinian man during a raid on the Khirbet Humsa community in the northern Jordan Valley of the occupied West Bank, according to witness testimonies cited by the Israeli daily Haaretz on Tuesday.

Testimonies said dozens of masked settlers stormed the community around midnight, splitting into groups and simultaneously raiding homes and tents.

Witnesses and a foreign human rights activist said the man was stripped, beaten, and subjected to severe sexual abuse while restrained on the ground, as others were forced to watch. He was reportedly unable to move as assailants continued beating him with clubs.

Residents said settlers bound men, women, and children with zip ties, dragged them outside, and piled some of them on top of each other while continuing to beat them. Several people were struck with sticks and rifles, while others sustained injuries after being slammed into structures.

During the same raid, settlers reportedly beat elderly, women, and girls, and issued threats against children and women, with one settler threatening to kill children and rape the women.

Homes were vandalized, belongings looted, and livestock released during the attack, which lasted about an hour.

Four Palestinian men and two foreign human rights activists were evacuated for medical treatment, with injuries, including cuts, bruises, and head wounds.

The Israeli army said forces arrived at the scene and launched searches for suspects, while police opened an investigation and began collecting evidence, according to the report.

Khirbet Humsa, a small herding community in the Jordan Valley, has faced repeated settler attacks in recent years.

Use of blatant force by Israeli security personnel, as well as attacks by illegal settlers, often under state protection, on Palestinian towns, villages, and communities in the occupied West Bank, have increased since the Gaza war, which continued for over two years starting in October 2023.

The ensuing violence has killed at least 1,127 Palestinians, injured 11,700 others, and led to 22,000 arrests, according to official Palestinian figures.