West Bank settler clash injures resident
Palmach forces evacuated two outposts near Atara and Wadi al-Rahim following a violent incident that left a 67-year-old man hurt.
By John Ferrari ·
A 67-year-old Palestinian man sustained injuries after being beaten by settlers in a village near Ramallah on Thursday. The Palestinian Red Crescent announced the incident, confirming the man was hurt during the assault.
Witnesses reported that the attackers also hurled stones at the village of Atara. Video footage captured several cars with their windows shattered by rocks. Additional clips showed settlers moving toward the village entrance and confronting local residents. The residents threw stones back, and the settlers eventually retreated.
The Israeli military stated on Thursday that it had evacuated two illegal outposts in the West Bank over the previous 24 hours. These sites were located near the Palestinian villages of Atara and Wadi al-Rahim. The army described the outposts as the source of repeated violent and illegal activity against Palestinians.
Civil Administration soldiers and Border Police officers carried out the operation. They dismantled and seized illegal construction components, temporary structures, vehicles, and tents. During the action at the Kfar Tarfon outpost near Atara, the army said Israeli rioters barricaded themselves inside structures. Other individuals attempted to reach the area. Troops used riot dispersal means to complete the enforcement activity.
Settler activists said law enforcement personnel arrived at Kfar Tarfon at 3 a.m. They cleared out the residents and demolished homes, a sheep pen, a chicken coop, and a communal dining room. Two vehicles belonging to outpost residents were confiscated.
President Isaac Herzog wrote to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last month. He called extremist settler violence a moral disgrace and urged greater efforts to crack down on the phenomenon. The rampant violence has prompted international sanctions against Israel and widespread backlash, with some attacks targeting diplomats or press.
Over 200 illegal settlement outposts have been established in the West Bank during the four-year term of the outgoing government. Many were set up with the coordination of settlement municipal authorities, the IDF, and other state agencies. The military noted that the establishment of these outposts diverts security forces from defensive and counterterrorism missions. Many perpetrators of settler violence come from outposts located near Palestinian communities.
