In the Israeli-occupied West Bank of the Jordan River, dozens of Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians during the olive harvest. The attackers set trees on fire and threw stones at people. At least two people, including a journalist, were injured. Reuters reports, UNN writes.
Details
The incident occurred on October 16 near the village of Abu Falah. According to eyewitnesses, about 80 settlers dressed in black and wearing masks came down from a hill to the olive grove, where local residents were harvesting. Some of the attackers had pepper spray and slingshots for throwing stones.
The Palestinians tried to defend themselves by throwing stones back. One of the local farmers, 42-year-old Mutaz Abdelhadi, said the attackers sought to drive the Palestinians from their homes.
The settlers want to attack us and drive us from our homes
Israeli military personnel arrived at the scene of the attack
During the clashes, at least two Israeli military jeeps arrived in the area. According to Reuters, the attack did not stop after they appeared, and the soldiers used tear gas in the direction of the Palestinians.
Gunshots were also heard at the scene. A Reuters photographer said he saw at least one armed settler firing a pistol.
The Israeli military called the violence against civilians serious and unacceptable. At the same time, The Washington Post called for an investigation into the attack on the journalist.
The incident occurred amid growing violence by radical Israeli settlers in the West Bank. The olive harvest is an important annual tradition for Palestinian communities, and attacks during the harvest create an additional threat to local farmers.