18 Palestinians killed, 785 injured by illegal Israeli settlers since Oct. 7, says Palestinian group

By Qais Abu Samra

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) - At least 18 Palestinians have been killed and 785 injured by illegal Israeli settlers since Oct. 7, 2023, said the Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission on Friday.

In a statement, the commission’s chief, Moayad Shaaban, revealed that 26 Bedouin communities have been forcibly displaced due to illegal settlers' attacks during this period.

The commission documented 273 fires set by illegal settlers on Palestinian properties and fields.

"The Israeli army and illegal settlers have exploited the brutal aggression being waged by the occupying state in Gaza to commit numerous crimes," Shaaban said.

“These fires, which have caused extensive damage, are one of the most significant forms of these crimes, with the latest incident occurring in the village of Jit, east of Qalqilya in the northern West Bank,” he added.

On Thursday evening, illegal settlers killed a Palestinian, critically injured another, and set fire to four homes and six vehicles during an attack on the village of Jit.

Shaaban described the arson attacks as a "consistent and escalating method" that inflicts severe damage.

He accused Israel of "adopting and supporting these actions as a means of terrorizing civilians and inflicting heavy social and economic losses on them."

"The terrorist groups are receiving official support, including funding, protection, and immunity," Shaaban added, calling it a “blatant challenge to international laws and resolutions that condemn the colonial settlement project and Israel's official institutions.”

Over the past few years, the Israeli military has conducted regular raids in the occupied West Bank, which have escalated with the beginning of the war on Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023.

At least 633 Palestinians have since been killed and nearly 5,400 others injured by Israeli army fire in the occupied territory, according to the Health Ministry.

In a landmark advisory opinion on July 19, the International Court of Justice declared Israel's decades-long occupation of Palestinian land illegal and demanded the evacuation of all existing settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi in Ankara