Organized settlement escalation in West Bank amid simultaneous attacks on Nablus, Ramallah, Qalqilya
WEST BANK, Feb. 25 (YPA) – In a new escalation of settler attacks in the occupied West Bank, settlers launched raids on Wednesday across several towns and areas in the Nablus, Ramallah, and Qalqilya governorates.
These actions are part of a continuous series of attacks targeting Palestinians, their land, and their property, carried out under the direct protection of Israeli occupation forces.
Jalud: Confrontations in the Al-Wadi Area
In the village of Jalud, southeast of Nablus, Zionist settlers attacked residents in the Al-Wadi area, according to local sources. This prompted a group of Palestinian young men to confront the attackers, leading to the outbreak of clashes in the area.
This incident follows a pattern of escalating assaults on villages south of Nablus, which frequently witness raids and attacks targeting agricultural lands and farmers.
Al-Mughayyir: Military Deployment and Gas Canisters Among Homes
In the village of Al-Mughayyir, northeast of Ramallah, settlers stormed the southern part of the village under the protection of Israeli occupation forces.
Marzouq Abu Na’im, Deputy Head of the Village Council, stated that settlers grazed their livestock on privately owned Palestinian land while Israeli occupation soldiers deployed across several neighborhoods. The soldiers fired intensive barrages of toxic gas canisters among residential homes; however, no injuries were reported.
This military presence is viewed as field cover intended to facilitate settler attacks and prevent residents from accessing or defending their lands.
Arab al-Khouli: Direct Threats and Forced Eviction
In a significant development, Zionist settlers trespassed on Palestinian lands in the Arab al-Khouli community, east of Kafr Thulth, south of Qalqilya. The Mayor of Kafr Thulth, Jihad Odeh, explained that settlers—accompanied by their livestock—stormed the community and issued direct threats against the ten residents living there, demanding they leave their land.
Odeh added that settlers forced resident Kayed Khouli to leave his home at gunpoint to allow their livestock to graze in the area. He described the move as a clear attempt to impose a new reality by force.
Odeh noted that this is not an isolated incident; last week, settlers attacked the same community and vandalized property as part of ongoing efforts to seize the area and force the population to evacuate.
The community is located in an area known as Khirbet Ayoun Kafr Qara and is home to only about ten people. It is surrounded by eight settlements from the north, east, and south, leaving the western exit toward Kafr Thulth as the residents’ only lifeline.
YPA