As Eid al-Fitr unfolded, the West Bank saw a surge in settler violence, including home burnings and restrictions on worship, amid ongoing conflicts.
Palestinians in the occupied West Bank endured a wave of violence during Eid al-Fitr celebrations, as reported by Al Jazeera. Settler attacks blocked community entrances, burned homes, and bulldozed olive groves, turning a period of religious observance into one of conflict.
Israeli authorities emptied the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound of worshippers for the first time since 1967, citing the ongoing conflict with Iran. Police used sound grenades and force to disperse Palestinians attempting to pray outside Jerusalem’s Old City gates.
Recent Incidents of Violence
On March 18, four Palestinian women were killed by rocket debris in Beit Awwa, a community lacking air raid sirens or shelters. The violence intensified on March 22 when about 100 masked settlers attacked villages like Jalud and Qaryut, torching vehicles, homes, and a village council building, and injuring residents despite nearby Israeli forces.
Settler raids continued across other areas, including Deir Sharaf where vehicles were set ablaze, Deir al-Hatab where homes were torched and residents injured, and Burqa where an attempt to burn a medical clinic was thwarted by locals. These attacks followed the death of a settler, which locals attributed to an accident involving a stolen vehicle.
Amid the assaults, Israeli forces arrested Palestinians rather than intervening in settler actions. In al-Fandaqumiya and Silat al-Dhaher, settlers burned homes and injured six residents, while in Jiljiliya, settlers raided a home and summoned forces to arrest a man and his two sons, aged 12 and 14.
Land Seizures and Demolitions
Israeli bulldozers uprooted olive trees in Nilin and Huwara, destroying over 1,500 trees in Huwara alone. In Masafer Yatta, settlers destroyed 130 olive trees by releasing livestock onto cultivated land.
On March 16, Israeli authorities issued military orders to seize 268 dunams of land in Tubas and Tammun for military purposes, followed by preparation work for a new road. In Fasayel al-Wusta, forces demolished the last remaining home, displacing families despite prior court approvals.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich attended the funeral of the deceased settler and stated that the government aims to dismantle the Palestinian Authority and end its autonomy in parts of the West Bank. Israeli authorities have not responded to requests for comment on these events.
