Houses set on fire and injuries reported in Israeli settler attacks in occupied West Bank

Israeli settlers attacked several Palestinian villages in the occupied West Bank overnight from Saturday to Sunday, causing injuries and property damage, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa and the Israeli army.

Citing the Palestinian Red Crescent, Wafa reported at least three people injured and vehicles set on fire in settler raids on the villages of Jaloud and Qaryout in the Nablus region. Similar raids were reported in the village of Fandaqumiya near Jenin.

In a statement released Sunday, the Israeli army confirmed these attacks, saying: "Last night (Saturday), Israeli forces and border police were dispatched to several Palestinian villages in the Judea and Samaria region (West Bank) after reports that Israeli civilians were setting deliberate fires on buildings and property, as well as disturbances in the area."

According to Wafa, "A large group of settlers stormed the village of Jaloud, setting houses and vehicles on fire, damaging homes and breaking windows, while Palestinian citizens tried to confront them and put out the fires."

The agency described "a series of assaults across the West Bank." According to an Israeli police statement Saturday evening, "a Palestinian vehicle collided with an Israeli vehicle, resulting in the death of one of the passengers" during the afternoon.

An investigation is underway to determine whether this was an accident or an attack. However, the incident triggered reprisals by Israeli settlers. Images circulated on social media, shared by Israeli media, showed dozens of settlers storming the streets of Palestinian villages at night, shouting and setting cars on fire.

'20 nationalist violence incidents'

According to the daily Haaretz, "settlers set fire to buildings and cars in several locations in the West Bank overnight." The newspaper counted "twenty incidents of nationalist violence" that left at least 11 Palestinians lightly injured.

At a time when the world's eyes are focused on the war in the Middle East, sparked at the end of February by an Israeli-American offensive against Iran, the latest figures indicate a surge in attacks by Israeli settlers in the Palestinian territory occupied by Israel since 1967.

According to Palestinian authorities, six Palestinians have been killed by settler gunfire in the West Bank since March 2. Israeli officials have publicly expressed concern over the escalation of settler violence.