A Palestinian youth sustained bruises and dozens of others suffocated by tear gas as Israeli forces attacked Palestinians attempting to fend off a settlers’ attack against their homes in the town of Surif, northwest of Hebron, according to local sources.
Sources told WAFA that settlers from the settlement of Beit Ein, built illegally on Surif lands, attacked Palestinian residents’ homes with stones and clubs. The settlers were backed with military forces, which did nothing to stop the settlers, but rather joined in on the attack against the residents.
Forces fired tear gas canisters toward residents, causing dozens to suffocate. A youth was reportedly injured after being physically attacked by armed settlers.
‘Settler violence and vandalism take place with full backing by the Israeli authorities. Sometimes soldiers take part in the assault; at other times, they stand idly by. The police make no substantial effort to investigate the incidents, nor takes measures to prevent them or stop them in real-time,’ it said.
Israel benefits from the repercussions, as settler violence has gradually dispossessed Palestinians of more and more areas in the West Bank, paving the way for a state takeover of land and resources, said B’Tselem.
Source: Palestine news & Information Agency