Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Tuesday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "supports the heinous crimes" committed by settlers against Palestinians.

He added in statements to Israeli Army Radio that Netanyahu, as prime minister, "supports the heinous crimes committed by the hilltop youth in the Palestinian territories" and that the government also turns a blind eye to them.

The "Hilltop Youth" are a far-right group of settlers who attack civilians by shooting, setting fire to property, uprooting trees, and establishing outposts.

Since the start of the war of extermination on the Gaza Strip in November 2023, the Israeli army and settlers have escalated their attacks in the West Bank, resulting in the deaths of more than 945 citizens, the injury of nearly 7,000, and the arrest of 15,800.