Israeli Settlers Torch Homes in West Bank Village After Fatal Attack

Dozens of Israeli settlers have set homes and vehicles on fire after the death of one person in the occupied West Bank village of Jit.

According to the Palestinian health ministry, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that the attack took place on Thursday evening, with masked settlers hurling rocks and Molotov cocktails.

The health ministry confirmed that a young villager, in his early 20s, was killed, while another suffered critical chest injuries.

The IDF stated they are investigating the fatality.

Israeli political figures swiftly condemned the violence, pledging to hold those responsible accountable. The IDF confirmed that one Israeli national was arrested in connection with the incident.

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Footage circulating on social media shows the village engulfed in flames, with thick smoke rising into the night sky.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared, “Those responsible for any criminal act will be caught and prosecuted.”

Israeli President Isaac Herzog echoed this sentiment on X, stating, “This is an extreme minority that harms the law-abiding community of settlers and the settlement as a whole and in the name and status of Israel in the world during a particularly sensitive and difficult period. Law enforcement officials must act immediately.”

The IDF noted that their forces were dispatched to Jit “within minutes” of receiving reports of the violence, firing warning shots into the air to disperse the attackers.

The settlers were eventually removed from the village. A joint investigation involving the IDF, Shin Bet, and Israeli police is now underway.

The U.S. government condemned the settler attacks, labeling them as “unacceptable” and demanding immediate action. A White House National Security Council spokesperson stated, “Israeli authorities must take measures to protect all communities from harm, this includes intervening to stop such violence and holding all perpetrators of such violence to account.”

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Stephen Jesuwale

Jesuwale Stephen is a journalist who finished from the Nigerian Institute of Journalism. He is a distinctive writer, media strategist and also a Digital Marketer