Bethlehem / PNN /
Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian communities in the central West Bank over the weekend, torching vehicles, vandalizing homes and infrastructure, and scrawling racist slogans, according to Palestinian officials.
Palestinian security sources said settlers raided the town of Atara, northwest of Ramallah, before dawn on Sunday, setting fire to two vehicles owned by local resident Abdul Aziz Ahmad Issa and spray-painting racist graffiti. No injuries were reported.
The attack was the latest in a series of assaults by settlers targeting Palestinian towns and rural communities, often under the protection of Israeli forces. Recent incidents have included gunfire at residents, physical assaults, arson attacks, vandalism of property, attacks on shepherds, and road closures, the sources said.
In a separate incident Saturday night, settlers attacked the Bedouin community of Khallet al-Sadra near the town of Mikhmas, north of occupied Jerusalem. The Jerusalem Governorate said settlers assaulted several homes and animal shelters and vandalized solar panels and surveillance cameras, seizing some of the equipment.
The governorate said the attack came after Israeli forces raided the community earlier in the evening, expelled foreign solidarity activists, and informed residents that the area had been declared a closed military zone for one year. Residents were handed a military order banning the presence of any individuals in the area.
Following an earlier settler attack days ago, the governorate said it had coordinated with partner institutions, including the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, to assess damage and identify urgent needs. Supplies intended to help rebuild damaged homes were scheduled to arrive on Sunday, but the closed military zone designation is expected to prevent their entry.
In recent days, several residents and two foreign activists were injured during settler attacks on Khallet al-Sadra, while multiple homes and two vehicles were set ablaze, according to Palestinian officials.
