Published 12:24 IST, October 2nd 2021
US 'strongly condemns' attack by West Bank settlers on Palestinians
“US government strongly condemns the acts of settler violence that took place against Palestinians in villages near Hebron in the West Bank," an official said.
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US State Department on Thursday derided recent sporadic attacks by masked West Bank settlers from settler outpost of Avigail on a Palestinian vill earlier this week that wounded a 3-year-old boy. “ US government strongly condemns acts of settler violence that took place against Palestinians in vills near Hebron in West Bank on September 28. We appreciate Foreign Minister and or officials' strong and unequivocal condemnations of this violence," a US Embassy spokesperson said on October 1 in a statement obtained by broadcasters when an American reporter asked about recent incident that has drawn world condemnation, including from Israel’s Foreign Minister Yair Yapid.
Five accused, including two mirs, were detained by Israeli police after Jewish attack in West Bank that injured at least 12 people. Israeli police officers described incident as “friction" between both sides, according to Hebrew press reports. Police took action and apprehended accused basis complaint filed by Palestinian activists.
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Israel gained victory over West Bank in 1967 war, home to 2.5 million Palestinians and 500,000 Jewish settlers. More radical settlers from Israeli side have established outposts in rural parts of West Bank where several unauthorized Palestinians live. Israel's military has been reluctant to dismantle any of homes as region is sensitive and prone to clashes that may ignite into a full-blown war. In August, an Israeli security official told ncies that Israel was set to approve construction of new homes for both Jewish settlers in occupied West Bank as well as grant permits for Palestinian housing construction in a rare diplomatic step. A Jerusalem court meanwhile had ruled halting any demolition of Palestinian homes in Silwan. Defense Minister Benny Gantz has approved construction of 1,000 Palestinian homes in Israeli-controlled Area C in Jenin and Bethlehem, as per Hebrew media reports.
recent attacks, which are frequent due to bitter sentiments among settlers in Masafer Yatta area souast of Hebron as per human rights groups, have attracted sweeping condemnation including from UK, European Union, and or countries of world. “This is a shocking case of violence and terrorism,” Israel’s Foreign minister Lapid wrote in a tweet.
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foot distributed by Israeli human rights group B’Tselem circulated was widely this past week that depicted brutal assault on vill of Al Mufaqarah by dozens of masked settlers who threw projectile objects attacked villrs by ransacking homes and murdering livestock and sheep. visuals that described ‘Jewish pogrom’ showed organised assault on Palestinians, hurling stones causing injuries, beating and stoning residents and children d as little as 3 to 4 years old.
3-year-old child hospitalised with critical head injuries
30-year-old resident, Mohammed Hussein Hamamdeh’s 3-year-old child was hospitalised with a head wound from stone in Be’er Sheva’s Soroka Medical Center with a fracture in his skull and internal bleeding in his brain, an Israeli left-wing news site reported from on ground. assault, it described, began at around 1 pm afteron, when a group of unidentified west Bank settlers assaulted a Palestinian shepherd, killing his cattle, as he fled with his two kids.
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y later, in as many as 60 in number, attacked anyone y met on ir path with handguns, stones, clubs, and sticks in area of Masafer Yatta. This is a region of prominent unauthorized Palestinian vills as most residents have t been legally granted building permits by Israeli authorities. disturbing visuals show assaulters rampaging across vills, smashing cars, and wreaking havoc with destruction of private homes and property. It depicts Israeli soldiers apparently t taking any action as group of men hurtle objects at man filming incident, CNN, that accessed visuals reported. It also approached Israeli army for comments but was handed response.
"This isn't Israeli way and it isn't Jewish way. This is a violent and dangerous fringe and we have a responsibility to bring m to justice,” Israel’s Foreign Minister Yair Lapid wrote on his official Twitter handle.
Lapid’s condemnation suit was followed by UK. A minister for Middle East and rth Africa in UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office also deunced violence as he said: UK condemns this violent act against a Palestinian vill in South Hebron Hills by settlers on 28 Sept. Israel must tackle this problem and protect Palestinians.” US officials, reportedly hailed Israel for taking a stand against violence on incent lives, as he told American press in a statement, “We appreciate Foreign Minister [Yair Lapid’s] and or officials’ strong and unequivocal condemnations of this violence.” Israel’s Health Minister and Meretz leader Nitzan Horowitz also condemned attack, saying that “violent ramp of lawbreakers is intolerable and we will stop it.”
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Im: AP
12:24 IST, October 2nd 2021