Israeli settler terrorists set three vehicles belonging to Palestinians alight early on Friday morning in the occupied West Bank, amid fierce attacks on farmers in their olive groves.
The settlers descended on the villages of Turmus Ayya, Abu Falah, and Deir Jarir early in the morning, with local sources stating that they also beat farmers during olive harvesting season.
Video footage circulating of the attack showed the cars completely engulfed in flames, with emergency services grappling to put out the fire between plumes of dark smoke.
One of the cars burned belonged to Palestinian civil defence teams, local media reported.
At least four people were also wounded in a settler attack on residents picking olives in the village of Burqa, east of Ramallah.
The Red Crescent Society confirmed its crews received four people who were wounded, who were later transported by the Deir Dibwan ambulance to the hospital.
It added that one of the victims was a 63-year-old woman and a 40-year-old man.
A photojournalist was also wounded in attacks by settlers in a raid on the village of Abu Fallah, northeast of Ramallah.
Settlers further burned olive trees while under the protection of Israeli forces, with the latter firing live ammunition and tear gas at Palestinians to force them away from their land.
A 70-year-old Palestinian man was among those attacked by settlers in the village of Burham, causing him fractures and injuries across his body.
The mayor of the village of Abwein, Mahmoud Dheeb Hamad, said that settlers attacked locals and farmers, seized their harvest and two cars, before vandalising the property of Palestinians and pushing them out of their land.
The string of violent attacks comes after settlers on Thursday evening stole a tractor from an area northwest of Nablus, belonging to a Palestinian man identified as Hossam Saif.
The Palestinian Authority’s Commission against the Wall and Settlements said earlier this week that it had documented at least 136 attacks since the start of the olive harvesting season, which commenced in October.
The commission noted that the attacks comprised of beatings, forced expulsions, intimidation, shooting, tear gas, arrests, and the stealing of harvests and equipment.
Since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza in October 2023, Israeli settlers and forces have ramped up their attacks targeting Palestinians and their property.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs also said in September that over 1,600 settler attacks had been recorded from the start of this year until 14 September, with at least 275 Palestinian communities affected.
