Sana'a: The occupied West Bank, including Al-Quds, has experienced a significant increase in Israeli settler attacks since October 7, 2023. These incidents have evolved beyond isolated acts, now reflecting a systematic policy targeting land and people under the direct protection of Israeli occupation forces.
According to Yemen News Agency, official Palestinian data reveals that the ongoing wave of settler terrorism has resulted in the deaths of over 1,182 Palestinians, injuries to around 13,000, and the arrest of approximately 25,000 individuals. This campaign has caused extensive damage to property, infrastructure, and crops, marking a systematic effort to displace the indigenous population and annex Palestinian territories amidst international silence.
The range of crimes committed includes killings, field executions, burning of homes and farmland, and uprooting thousands of olive trees, all under the protection of the Israeli army. Settlers aim to impose a new reality by preventing grazing and carrying out daily assaults to force residents to abandon their homes. Extremist settlers have tightened their siege around the Abu Rida family house in Qusra, south of Nablus, for four consecutive days.
According to Sond News Agency, settlers have surrounded the house of Yousef Abdul Salam Abu Rida in the Ras Al-Ain area of Qusra, blocking access and setting up a tent nearby under army protection. Large numbers of settlers and Israeli soldiers are present, attempting to seize the house for months. The Abu Rida family fears suffering the same fate as the Tubasi family, who were forced to leave their home in Jalud after prolonged siege and attacks.
Meanwhile, the al-Baidar Human Rights Organization reported new pastoral outposts being established by settlers in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron. These outposts aim to seize large grazing areas, preventing Palestinian herders from accessing them. The organization views these outposts as unofficial and illegal settlements violating international law and the Geneva Conventions.
Two UN officials warned that the situation in the West Bank has reached a 'dangerous turning point,' with escalating violence and accelerated settlement activities. During a UN Security Council session, Ramiz Alakbarov, Deputy UN Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, noted the deterioration resulting from decades of unresolved conflict.
Observers believe the ultimate goal of settler crimes is to implement de facto annexation and impose Israeli sovereignty over Area C, fragmenting the West Bank into isolated cantons. The Palestinian resistance views this as a comprehensive settlement war, calling for comprehensive resistance and forming protection committees in targeted villages.
Palestinian writer Dr. Hani al-Akad highlights the organized nature of settler attacks, coordinated with the Israeli army. He warns that without swift international action, these terrorist attacks may expand, leading to increased bloodshed and difficulty in controlling the situation.
In conclusion, settler terrorism is seen as the civilian arm of the Zionist occupation project, aiming to uproot the Palestinian people from their homeland. Steadfastness and confrontation are deemed essential to thwart these plans.
