JERUSALEM: Israeli colonists Friday evening assaulted Palestinian shepherds in the Hizma town, northeast of the occupied West Bank city of Jerusalem, according to local sources. They said that the colonists beat up and opened fire towards several shepherds in the eastern Hizma, forcing them to leave the pastoral area. Colonists' violence against Palestinians and their property is routine in the West Bank and is rarely prosecuted by Israeli authorities. Colonists' violence includes property and mosque arsons, stone-throwing, uprooting of crops and olive trees, and attacks on vulnerable homes, among others. Over 700,000 Israeli colonists are living in colonies across occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank in violation of international law. Source: Palestine news & Information Agency - WAFA