Israeli settlers burn Palestinian properties in West Bank

By Qais Abo Samra

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) - Israeli settlers on Friday set fire to Palestinian properties in the village of Kisan east of the city of Bethlehem in the southern occupied West Bank.

"The settlers burned a house, a vehicle, and a sheep pen," Mousa Ubayyat, head of the village council, told Anadolu.

"The fire caused significant damage to the properties without any reported human casualties," he added.

Ubayyat said the village has been facing escalating attacks by settlers since the start of the war on Gaza on Oct 7, 2023.

Estimates indicate about 700,000 Israeli settlers live in roughly 300 illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

All Jewish settlements in the occupied territories are considered illegal under international law.

Tensions have been running high across the West Bank since Israel launched a deadly military offensive against the Gaza Strip following an Oct. 7 Hamas attack.

At least 394 Palestinians have since been killed and 4,400 others injured by Israeli army fire in the occupied territory, according to the Health Ministry.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice over its deadly onslaught on the Gaza Strip, which has left more than 28,600 people dead.

In an interim ruling in January, the Hague-based court ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio Ankara