Injuries in a widespread settler attack south of Nablus, and the occupation forces compel a Jerusalemite family to demolish 7 homes

The village of Madama, located south of Nablus city, witnessed a violent attack by dozens of extremist settlers, resulting in seven injuries among Palestinian citizens. Medical sources confirmed that the injuries varied between live ammunition and direct severe beating, with the attacks affecting elderly individuals, men, and shrapnel hitting the faces of others.

Local sources explained that the attack began when groups of settlers launched from a newly established outpost on the northern lands of the village, targeting unarmed shepherds with live fire. Occupation forces intervened to provide protection for the attackers, closing the main entrances to the earth mounds and iron gates to prevent the arrival of medical supplies.

In a related context, the Palestinian Red Crescent reported that occupation soldiers deliberately obstructed the access of ambulances to the injured in Madama, exacerbating the suffering of the wounded. The list of injured included a 72-year-old man who was shot in the foot, another 53-year-old man who was shot in the thigh, in addition to two women who were severely beaten.

Settler attacks were not limited to Madama but extended to the town of Beita, south of Nablus, where citizens' homes were pelted with stones in the early hours of dawn. The attack resulted in the smashing of windows of several vehicles parked in front of homes, before the town's residents confronted the settlers and forced them to retreat amidst the occupation forces firing flare bombs.

In the southern West Bank, settlers targeted agricultural lands in Khirbet al-Markaz in Masafer Yatta, Hebron Governorate, where they damaged and uprooted a number of fruit trees. These attacks come within the framework of a systematic policy aimed at restricting Palestinian farmers and preventing them from accessing their historical lands.

In occupied Jerusalem, the occupation authorities committed a new demolition crime after forcing a Palestinian family to self-demolish seven of their homes in the eastern area of Qalandia village. The forced demolition operation came under the pretext of building without a license, leading to the displacement of family members who had been living in these inhabited homes for years.

Regarding arrests, occupation forces launched a wide-ranging raid campaign targeting Qalandia refugee camp, Qalqilya city, and Mithalun town south of Jenin. This campaign resulted in the arrest of a number of citizens, including leaders of the Fatah movement in Qalqilya city, in addition to two young men from Shweika suburb north of Tulkarm after raiding and searching their relatives' homes.

Human rights reports indicate an unprecedented escalation in the pace of settler attacks since October 2023, with attacks becoming more organized and deadly. According to official data from the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, more than 540 attacks were recorded in April alone, including physical assaults, burning of crops, and seizure of property.

These field developments come amid the continued policy of closure and siege imposed by the occupation forces on cities and villages in the West Bank. Observers warn that giving settlers free rein in areas classified as 'C' aims to accelerate de facto annexation operations and displace Palestinian residents from their lands for the sake of settlement expansion.

Israeli occupation forces obstructed the access of ambulance crews to the injured in Madama village, preventing them from providing necessary treatment to those targeted by settler bullets.