Israeli authorities, illegal settlers carried out over 12,000 attacks in 2023: Palestinian official

By Qais Abu Samra

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) - More than 12,000 attacks were carried out by Israeli authorities and illegal settlers in 2023, a Palestinian official said on Monday.

“The occupation authorities and their settlers carried out 12,161 attacks, including 5,308 after Oct. 7,” head of the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission, Moayad Shaaban, told reporters in Ramallah.

Israeli settlers carried out 2,410 of the attacks, he added.

He said as many as 22 Palestinians were killed in firing by settlers, including 10 after Oct. 7.

Shaaban pointed out that 25 Bedouin communities were displaced in the West Bank and the East Jerusalem desert during the year, with 22 of them after the Hamas offensive. The communities include 266 families and a total of 1,517 people.

During the past year, 21,731 trees were also cut down and destroyed, including 18,964 olive trees, the official said.

He added that in the stated period Israeli authorities confiscated more than 50,000 dunams (measure of land area) of land on account of natural reserves, expropriation orders, and seizure orders.