By Qais Abu Samra
RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) — Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank have spiked since Oct, 7, according to Palestinian and Israeli sources.
The surge in attacks — sometimes under the protection of soldiers — against Palestinian people and their property has coincided with Israel's devastating bombardment and blockade of the Gaza Strip, which began earlier this month when the Palestinian group Hamas initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, a multi-pronged surprise attack that included a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel by land, sea, and air.
Settlers have since then launched 280 attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank, killing seven so far, according to the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, affiliated with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
The methods employed by settlers in these attacks varied, from firing live ammunition, to beatings, uprooting trees, stoning vehicles, blocking roads, and attacking homes, families, and farmers.
Attacks were concentrated in the provinces of southern Hebron and northern Nablus, where 78 incidents were recorded each, while 26 took place in Bethlehem, 23 in Salfit, 15 in Jericho, 12 in Tubas, nine in Jerusalem, three in Qalqilya, three in Jenin, and one in Tulkarm.
The most prominent of these attacks, monitored by Anadolu, are the following:
Oct. 25
Settlers demolish two residential rooms, two barns, and a well, destroyed solar cells, and uprooted trees in the Masafer Yatta area, south of Hebron.
Oct. 24
Settlers burn a Palestinian house on the outskirts of Talfit village, south of Nablus.
Oct. 23
Settlers cut down 40 old olive trees in the Kafr al-Dik region, west of Salfit.
Oct. 22
Settlers cut down 70 old olive trees in Yasuf village, east of Salfit, attack the town of Huwara, south of Nablus, and fire at Palestinian citizens.
Oct. 20
Settlers burn a home and destroy water lines in the town of Al-Auja, north of Jericho.
Oct. 19
Armed settlers desecrate the mosque of Manizil village, south of Hebron, damaging its megaphones and smashing windows.
Oct. 18
Settlers gun down a young Palestinian man near the town of Dura al-Qar, near Ramallah.
Another group opens fire at Palestinians harvesting olives in the village of Burqa, northwest of Nablus.
Oct. 17
Settlers attack Madama village, south of Nablus, with live ammunition and tear gas canisters.
Oct. 14
Settlers storm Palestinian homes in Al-Farisiya village in the northern Jordan Valley, demanding residents leave and demolish a residential room.
Oct. 13
Footage is released by Israel-based human rights group B'Tselem showing an armed settler attacking Palestinians in Al-Tuwanah village, south of Hebron, shooting one of them from point-blank range in the presence of Israeli soldiers.
Oct. 12
From the town of Qasra near Nablus, settlers shoot dead two Palestinians taking part in a procession for four others killed a day earlier by gunfire from settlers in the town.
Settlers wound a young Palestinian man by shooting him with live bullets during clashes in the town of Sinjil, north of Ramallah.
Oct. 11
Settlers and the Israeli army shoot dead four Palestinians in the town of Qasra in Nablus, according to Palestinian medical and local sources.
Settlers shot farmers in the town of Kafr al-Dik, west of Salfit, and the village of Marda, north of Salfit.
Oct. 10
Settlers shoot at Palestinian homes in the city of Hebron.
Oct. 7
Settlers fired live ammunition at civilian vehicles on the Al-Marajat road between the cities of Ramallah and Jericho.
According to Israeli rights group Peace Now, about 794,000 settlers live in 146 large settlements and 140 outposts across the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Under international law, all Jewish settlements in the occupied territories are considered illegal.
*Writing by Mahmoud Barakat