A group of hundreds of Israeli settlers has set fire to dozens of houses and cars in the occupied West Bank. International news agencies report this on Wednesday. According to Palestinian authorities, a 27-year-old Palestinian was killed. The move comes in retaliation for an attack on Tuesday in which a Palestinian gunman shot and killed four Israelis.
At least fourteen people have been killed this week in the succession of attacks and revenge exercises. The new wave of violence began Monday, when the Israeli army sought to arrest two suspected militants in Jenin, in the occupied West Bank. Israeli soldiers got stuck with a vehicle, after which an eight-hour firefight ensued. At least seven Palestinians were killed in the violence.
In the whole of 2023, at least 130 Palestinians and 24 Israelis have already died in shelling or attacks, the AP news agency reports. Due to the new outbreak of violence, the Israeli army has an even stronger presence in the West Bank, which only increases the chance of more Palestinian violence. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis live in settlements in the West Bank. They are illegal there under international law.
Read also: Israeli law amendment clears the way for new settlements in the occupied West Bank
Israel on Sunday approved plans to expand settlements in the occupied West Bank. The government also expanded the powers of far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to speed up the construction of illegal settlements. The new measures make the expansion of settlements on Palestinian territory a lot easier.