Jewish settlers attack Palestinian bus driver in J'lem

By Abdel Raouf Arnaout 

JERUSALEM

Jewish settlers on Thursday evening attacked the Palestinian driver of an Israeli transport bus in Jerusalem, leaving him seriously injured, according to Israeli media reports and a video of the incident shared on social-media platforms. 

The video shows Nidal al-Faqih, a Palestinian bus driver from the Shuafat refugee camp north of Jerusalem, being severely beaten by Jewish settlers in the Kiryat Sefer settlement near the West Bank city of Ramallah. 

It was not possible for Anadolu Agency to reach the Palestinian driver for comment. Nor have the Israeli police issued a statement on the incident. 

Israel’s Broadcasting Authority, however, reported that two Israelis had attacked the driver on Thursday, leaving the latter in “serious” condition, for which he has since received medical treatment. 

In response to the incident, dozens of Palestinian drivers staged a protest near the Modiin Illit settlement near Ramallah on Friday to demand protection from attacks by settlers. 

The incident comes amid a recent uptick in Israeli-Palestinian violence across the occupied West Bank, which saw two Israeli soldiers killed near Ramallah on Thursday. 

Over the course of the last 48 hours, four Palestinians have also been killed by Israeli forces for their alleged involvement in the violence. 

The Israeli military, meanwhile, has designated Ramallah a “closed military area”, preventing anyone from entering or exiting the city.