Witnesses reported that Israeli settlers attacked multiple towns in the Israeli-controlled West Bank, while the Israeli army announced the discovery of the body of a missing Israeli adolescent who was slain in a “terrorist attack.” The violence in the occupied West Bank reached levels not seen since the war in Gaza started.
On Saturday, clashes broke out in various places, with both Israelis and Palestinians hurt as a result of gunfire and stone throwing, according to the Israeli military. “All of the incidents have concluded,” it stated, after several companies with the defense forces were dispatched.
On Friday and Saturday, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian villages in response to the disappearance of 14-year-old Binyamin Achimair. Tensions have been building in the region for months, and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant issued a social media message urging the public not to self-govern.
According to Palestinian health sources, 25 people were injured and Palestinian Jehad Abu Alia was killed in Friday’s attack on the town of al-Mughayyir. The ambulance transporting the body of the 26-year-old man was delayed for many hours by Israeli military on Saturday, according to witnesses.
Twelve houses and multiple vehicles were set ablaze on Saturday when dozens of Israeli settlers made a triumphant return to the village’s outskirts. Three villagers were hurt, with one in critical condition, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Border patrol agents attempted to disperse the encroaching villagers by firing tear gas canisters at them.
“As you can see, they burned the house and cars,” 42-year-old Akef Abu Allu said, surveying his two-story home in al-Mughayyir, which was covered in charcoal dust.
The leader of the local village council, Slieman Dawabsheh, told The Associated Press that he had gone there and that Israeli settlers had burned down about fifteen houses and ten fields in the neighboring town of Douma. As the Palestinians attempted to confront and remove the Israelis, he stated, “The army came but unfortunately, the army were protecting the settlers.” The army allegedly sprayed tear gas and rubber bullets at the protesters.
In response to inquiries, the Israeli military remained silent. Six individuals were wounded in gunfire, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent, but the group did not specify who opened fire.
Yesh Din, an Israeli human rights organization, released a statement claiming that Israeli settlers had attacked and vandalized at least ten West Bank settlements.
The attack on southern Israel by Hamas, which killed around 1,200 people and captured 250 captives, triggered the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza on October 7. Since then, tensions in the West Bank have been exceptionally high. According to health officials in Gaza, more than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s offensive.
In an effort to increase the pressure on Israel, Hamas has since been attempting to inflame additional fronts, notably in the West Bank. Over 460 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank since October 7th, mostly in confrontations ignited by army operations but sometimes by vigilante settlers. However, these attempts have mainly been in vain.
The murder of the Israeli teenager was not immediately attributed to anyone.
The teenager was last seen early Friday morning, tending to cattle near the settlement outpost of Malachei Shalom, according to Israeli media. After a few hours, according to reports, the sheep went back to the outpost without him.
According to Channel 13 TV in Israel, a drone found Achimair’s body. While he did not go into detail, the broadcaster stated that he was not shot.
The murder was denounced by Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel. “We will prosecute those responsible for the murders and those who aid them, just as we do against any aggressors against Israeli citizens,” he declared in a statement released by his office.
At the time, the bloodiest round of fighting between the two sides was the 50-day Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza that began in 2014 after the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teenagers in the West Bank ratcheted up tensions.
East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza are all areas where the Palestinians want to establish a future state, and settlement activity in these areas has increased under successive Israeli administrations. Some outposts are quite established and seem like Israeli suburbs, while smaller ones often feature a handful of caravans.
Despite the government’s implicit support, Israel has built dozens of settlements across the occupied West Bank. These outposts lack official authorization. All settlements in the West Bank are deemed unlawful and peace-preventing by the international community.
The West Bank and east Jerusalem, which were taken by Israel in 1967, are today home to more than 700,000 Israelis.