Settlers’ attacks in the West Bank and the occupation decides to build 1,300 settlement units news

Israeli Channel 14 reported that the occupation authorities approved the construction of about 1,300 new settlement units in the “Gush Etzion” settlement, south of Jerusalem, as part of an accelerating settlement expansion in Jerusalem and the West Bank.

At the same time, the Jerusalem Governorate reported that the occupation authorities had delivered 30 demolition and construction halt notices for Palestinian homes in Al-Issawiya and the town of Al-Za’im, east of the occupied city.

This escalation coincides with the escalation of settler attacks in various areas of the West Bank, where settlers attacked Palestinian vehicles in the town of Deir Nizam, north of Ramallah, while others set fire to agricultural lands in the Turmus Ayya Plain area, which includes dozens of perennial olive trees.

Al Jazeera’s correspondent said that the occupation forces obstructed the entry of Palestinian Civil Defense crews to put out the fire, which led to the expansion of the fire.

In the northern West Bank, settlers cut down and vandalized dozens of olive trees on the lands of the village of Qaryut, south of Nablus, according to local sources. Video clips also documented settlers stealing olives from Palestinian lands east of Bethlehem under the protection of occupation soldiers.

Youssef Sadiq Al-Haj Muhammad, the acting head of the Qaryut Local Council, said that the farmers were surprised when they arrived on their lands after official coordination by the uprooting of hundreds of old trees near the “Elieh” settlement, suggesting that the crime was committed weeks ago.

According to the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, the army and settlers have recorded 259 attacks on olive pickers since the beginning of this October – including 218 attacks carried out by settlers – which included physical attacks, sabotage operations, access prevention, and shooting.

These attacks fall within a continuing wave of escalation in the West Bank in parallel with the devastating war launched by Israel on Gaza during the past two years, which left thousands of Palestinian victims and massive damage to infrastructure and property.