Israeli settlers attacked more than 20 Palestinian vehicles with stones on Sunday after storming the northern area of Huwara town, south of Nablus.
Ghassan Douglas, the Palestinian official in charge of the settlement issue in the northern part of the West Bank, said that more than 25 settlers stormed the northern area near “Country Park" in Huwara and destroyed more than 20 Palestinian vehicles. Palestinian citizens confronted the settlers and forced them to leave the area, he added.
Local sources said the incident took place after a settler was hit on his head in the town’s main street two days ago. Settlers from the group known as “Price Tag” launch separate attacks on Palestinian villages near the settlements and Palestinian vehicles parked by the streets.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates has condemned the escalation in settlers’ attacks against Palestinian citizens, their land, property, and vehicles.
In a statement on Sunday, the Ministry denounced these actions, the most recent of which was the attack on the western side of Huwara town, in which settlers smashed the windows of more than 20 vehicles using stones.
They also randomly fired on citizens who tried to confront them, stormed Janiya town, west of Ramallah, and attacked shepherds and attempted to steal their sheep.
The Ministry stressed that all these actions are carried out under the protection of occupation forces, who often intervene to pave the way for the militant's withdrawal by firing heavy bullets and tear-gas bombs towards Palestinian citizens.
It also criticized the occupation forces' violent and bloody attacks carried out while storming many Palestinian towns, recalling the last of which was against Kafr Qaddum, east of Qalqilya.
According to the ministry, the attack resulted in the injury of a young man, who was taken to Rafidia Hospital in Nablus. In its statement, the Ministry affirmed that the terrorist settlement organizations' escalation against Palestinian citizens is a direct result of the green light, care, and encouragement they receive from politicians in the occupying state.
This support encourages the organizations to persist in practicing their violent attacks on Palestinian towns and villages without being held accountable and aim at intimidating citizens and preventing them from accessing their lands.
By this, the Ministry stressed, the occupation forces and settlement organizations get to control these lands and add them to their settlement expansion project.
It also strongly held the Israeli government, its various arms, and the US administration responsible for the settlers ’ongoing crimes and violations against Palestinians, their lands and properties.
