Local activists says village 'went through hours of terror' during the attacks, and that settlers have targeted the village before
Israeli settlers gather near the settlement of Bat Ayin in the occupied West Bank on 21 June 2021, as right-wing activists and settler leaders hold marches in Area C (AFP)
By Shatha Hammad in
Ramallah, Palestine
Published date: 30 March 2022
Israeli settlers launched multiple attacks on Palestinians and their property on Tuesday hours after a gunman killed five people in an ultra-Orthodox Jewish area in Tel Aviv.
The assailant, identified as 27-year-old Palestinian Diya Hamarshah, was later fatally shot by police.
'We live in a state of tension and preparedness for any new attack from the settlers, and we fear for our lives'
- Nisfat al-Khuffash, activist in Marda
Local media said he was a former prisoner from the occupied West Bank city of Yabad near Jenin.
The incident has triggered settler violence in the occupied Palestinian territories.
In the village of al-Lubban al-Sharqiya, near the city of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, settlers cut down around 170 olive trees and damaged villagers' homes and vehicles with stones, eyewitnesses told Middle East Eye.
Villager Raja Owais told MEE that a settler bus protected by Israeli army and police vehicles stopped near his land at midnight on Tuesday. He discovered the next morning that settlers had cut down olive trees on his eight dunams (roughly two acres) of land.
The trees were planted 12 years ago and were the main source of income for his family.
"I raised these trees as I raise children... Today I feel that I have lost my children, the feeling is very painful," he said.
Owais said his village “went through hours of terror” during the attacks, and that settlers have targeted the village before.
Israel's week of deadly attacks: What you need to know
Ramallah, Palestine
Published date: 30 March 2022
Israeli settlers launched multiple attacks on Palestinians and their property on Tuesday hours after a gunman killed five people in an ultra-Orthodox Jewish area in Tel Aviv.
The assailant, identified as 27-year-old Palestinian Diya Hamarshah, was later fatally shot by police.
'We live in a state of tension and preparedness for any new attack from the settlers, and we fear for our lives'
- Nisfat al-Khuffash, activist in Marda
Local media said he was a former prisoner from the occupied West Bank city of Yabad near Jenin.
The incident has triggered settler violence in the occupied Palestinian territories.
In the village of al-Lubban al-Sharqiya, near the city of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, settlers cut down around 170 olive trees and damaged villagers' homes and vehicles with stones, eyewitnesses told Middle East Eye.
Villager Raja Owais told MEE that a settler bus protected by Israeli army and police vehicles stopped near his land at midnight on Tuesday. He discovered the next morning that settlers had cut down olive trees on his eight dunams (roughly two acres) of land.
The trees were planted 12 years ago and were the main source of income for his family.
"I raised these trees as I raise children... Today I feel that I have lost my children, the feeling is very painful," he said.
Owais said his village “went through hours of terror” during the attacks, and that settlers have targeted the village before.
Israel's week of deadly attacks: What you need to know
Read More »
"The settlers use any event as a pretext to attack us. We are victims of these attacks on a daily basis... but the attacks have increased exponentially since the beginning of the year," he said.
In the village of Marda, near the city of Salfit in the central West Bank, a group of settlers attacked a number of vehicles by smashing their windows and damaging their wheels, before fleeing.
Nisfat al-Khuffash, an activist in the village, told MEE that people from the Ariel settlement snuck into the village and attacked four vehicles. “It seemed that they were planning a larger attack, but the vigilance of the villagers prevented the attack from continuing, and the settlers fled quickly,” he said.
Settlers target the village of Marda almost every day. Their assaults often intensify when there is news of violence elsewhere.
"We live in a state of tension and preparedness for any new attack from the settlers, and we fear for our lives, especially since the settlers are armed and carry out their attacks while guarded by the Israeli army."
Marda is surrounded by the separation wall and military gates are shut completely when there is a security incident - even far away. “The village and its people are isolated," said al-Khuffash, "and each closure may extend for up to five days.”
Map of attacks
In the village of Qaryut, south of Nablus, settlers set up caravans on nearby land on Wednesday.
A Palestinian official in charge of settlement affairs in the northern West Bank, Ghassan Daghlas, said that the settlers set up two caravans in the Al-Batain area of Qaryut, located between the settlements of Shiloh and Eli.
A 41-year-old Palestinian, Zaki Abdel Rahim Eleiwi, was attacked by settlers near the Shavei Shomron settlement, northwest of Nablus, on Wednesday.
The director of accident and emergency at the Red Crescent in Nablus, Ahmad Jibril, said that Eleiwi, from the town of Sebastia, sustained a broken hand and was transferred to Rafidia Governmental Hospital in the city for treatment.
Israel-Palestine: Israeli settlers erect new outpost on Unesco World Heritage site
"The settlers use any event as a pretext to attack us. We are victims of these attacks on a daily basis... but the attacks have increased exponentially since the beginning of the year," he said.
In the village of Marda, near the city of Salfit in the central West Bank, a group of settlers attacked a number of vehicles by smashing their windows and damaging their wheels, before fleeing.
Nisfat al-Khuffash, an activist in the village, told MEE that people from the Ariel settlement snuck into the village and attacked four vehicles. “It seemed that they were planning a larger attack, but the vigilance of the villagers prevented the attack from continuing, and the settlers fled quickly,” he said.
Settlers target the village of Marda almost every day. Their assaults often intensify when there is news of violence elsewhere.
"We live in a state of tension and preparedness for any new attack from the settlers, and we fear for our lives, especially since the settlers are armed and carry out their attacks while guarded by the Israeli army."
Marda is surrounded by the separation wall and military gates are shut completely when there is a security incident - even far away. “The village and its people are isolated," said al-Khuffash, "and each closure may extend for up to five days.”
Map of attacks
In the village of Qaryut, south of Nablus, settlers set up caravans on nearby land on Wednesday.
A Palestinian official in charge of settlement affairs in the northern West Bank, Ghassan Daghlas, said that the settlers set up two caravans in the Al-Batain area of Qaryut, located between the settlements of Shiloh and Eli.
A 41-year-old Palestinian, Zaki Abdel Rahim Eleiwi, was attacked by settlers near the Shavei Shomron settlement, northwest of Nablus, on Wednesday.
The director of accident and emergency at the Red Crescent in Nablus, Ahmad Jibril, said that Eleiwi, from the town of Sebastia, sustained a broken hand and was transferred to Rafidia Governmental Hospital in the city for treatment.
Israel-Palestine: Israeli settlers erect new outpost on Unesco World Heritage site
Read More »
Meanwhile, two other young men from Al-Tur and Silwan in Jerusalem were wounded when settlers tried to run them over.
The attacks have concentrated on the main settlement highways across the West Bank. In Hebron, settlers from Telem and Adora, to the west, Kiryat Arba to the east of the city, and Neghut to the south, attacked Palestinian vehicles with stones, and smashed some of their windows.
Dozens of settlers, under the protection of the Israeli army, closed the main street linking the town of Ithna with the city of Hebron, and Farsh al-Hawa Road, throwing stones at vehicles.
Meanwhile, two other young men from Al-Tur and Silwan in Jerusalem were wounded when settlers tried to run them over.
The attacks have concentrated on the main settlement highways across the West Bank. In Hebron, settlers from Telem and Adora, to the west, Kiryat Arba to the east of the city, and Neghut to the south, attacked Palestinian vehicles with stones, and smashed some of their windows.
Dozens of settlers, under the protection of the Israeli army, closed the main street linking the town of Ithna with the city of Hebron, and Farsh al-Hawa Road, throwing stones at vehicles.
Settlers also attacked Palestinian vehicles near Burin, south of Nablus; Burqa, northwest of the city, near the town of Sinjil, north of Ramallah and at the northern entrance to the city of Al-Bireh.
Others attacked vehicles near Deir Sharaf, west of Nablus, and at the Zaatara checkpoint, to the south of the city.
The attacks coincide with the 46th anniversary of the first Land Day, which Palestinians have marked every 30 March since 1976, when Israeli police shot dead six Palestinian citizens of Israel who were protesting against the expropriation of Palestinian land in northern Israel for Jewish settlers.
Others attacked vehicles near Deir Sharaf, west of Nablus, and at the Zaatara checkpoint, to the south of the city.
The attacks coincide with the 46th anniversary of the first Land Day, which Palestinians have marked every 30 March since 1976, when Israeli police shot dead six Palestinian citizens of Israel who were protesting against the expropriation of Palestinian land in northern Israel for Jewish settlers.
Israel's Bennett urges citizens to carry guns, says 'this is the time'
Israeli prime minister called on volunteers to reinforce army and police, and also announced he was establishing a new 'border police brigade'
Israeli border police members gather by the Via Dolorosa (Street of Suffering) on 28 March 2022, as Israel raises its security measures (AFP)
By MEE staff
Published date: 30 March 2022
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett called on gun owners to arm themselves in public after five people were killed in an ultra-Orthodox Jewish area in Tel Aviv.
"After a period of quiet, there is a violent eruption by those who want to destroy us, those who want to hurt us at any price," Bennett said in a video statement from his home on Wednesday where he is quarantined after testing positive for Covid-19.
"What is expected of you, Israeli citizens? Vigilance and responsibility. Whoever has a gun licence, this is the time to carry a gun."
"We are also currently evaluating a larger framework to involve civilian volunteers who want to help and be of assistance," he added.
His remarks came hours after Tuesday's shooting, which came days after two similar incidents left six people dead and several others wounded.
Published date: 30 March 2022
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett called on gun owners to arm themselves in public after five people were killed in an ultra-Orthodox Jewish area in Tel Aviv.
"After a period of quiet, there is a violent eruption by those who want to destroy us, those who want to hurt us at any price," Bennett said in a video statement from his home on Wednesday where he is quarantined after testing positive for Covid-19.
"What is expected of you, Israeli citizens? Vigilance and responsibility. Whoever has a gun licence, this is the time to carry a gun."
"We are also currently evaluating a larger framework to involve civilian volunteers who want to help and be of assistance," he added.
His remarks came hours after Tuesday's shooting, which came days after two similar incidents left six people dead and several others wounded.
Three of the four assailants in the attacks, all fatally shot in the aftermath, were Palestinian citizens of Israel.
"We are experiencing a murderous terror wave and as in all previous waves, this time we will also overcome," Bennett said.
The premier said his government agreed to form a new "border police brigade" that would track those who ever had any connection to the Islamic State (IS) group, and said he was looking at ways to incorporate volunteers, "citizens who want to assist".
In the wake of Tuesday's attack, Israeli police announced they had raised alert levels to the highest since May last year.
Violence spiked last Ramadan when Israel tried to expel Palestinian families from Sheikh Jarrah, a neighbourhood in occupied East Jerusalem, to make way for Israeli settlers.
This prompted widespread protests across the occupied West Bank and the Palestinian community inside Israel, and rockets were fired from armed groups in Gaza, triggering Israel's large-scale military operation on the besieged Strip which killed 260 Palestinians, including 66 children, according to the UN. In Israel, 12 people were killed by rockets launched from Gaza.
The Israeli army on Wednesday said an additional 12 battalions had been deployed along the fence separating Israel from the West Bank and a further two battalions were deployed along the Gaza Strip.
The office of Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz said 1,000 trained soldiers were also to be sent to assist Israeli police in "internal security operations".
Troops will assist in gathering intelligence and guiding security operations against Palestinians who may be in Israel without a permit.
Former general warns of another Nakba
Meanwhile, requests for arms purchases by Israeli citizens have been on the rise, according to the Walla news website.
According to data from the ministry of public security, requests increased three and a half times from the same period last year, Walla reported.
More than a thousand gun purchase applications have been submitted since the beginning of March, and the number of applications has doubled in the past two weeks.
The latest incident has triggered numerous instances of settler violence in the occupied Palestinian territories, and in Bnei Brak - the scene of Tuesday's attack - scores of Israelis gathered and could be heard chanting anti-Palestinian slogans, including "death to Arabs".
Late on Tuesday, Uzi Dayan, a former Israeli army general and member of Israel's parliament, warned the Palestinians of another Nakba.
"The thing we need to tell the Arab community, even those who didn't participate in the attacks, is to be careful," he said.
"If we reach a civil war situation, things will end in one word and a situation you know, which is Nakba," he added. "This is what will happen in the end."
The Nakba, or "the catastrophe", is the name Palestinians gave to the massacres and forced expulsions they endured at the hand of Zionist militias in 1948.
This article is available in French on Middle East Eye French edition.
"We are experiencing a murderous terror wave and as in all previous waves, this time we will also overcome," Bennett said.
The premier said his government agreed to form a new "border police brigade" that would track those who ever had any connection to the Islamic State (IS) group, and said he was looking at ways to incorporate volunteers, "citizens who want to assist".
In the wake of Tuesday's attack, Israeli police announced they had raised alert levels to the highest since May last year.
Violence spiked last Ramadan when Israel tried to expel Palestinian families from Sheikh Jarrah, a neighbourhood in occupied East Jerusalem, to make way for Israeli settlers.
This prompted widespread protests across the occupied West Bank and the Palestinian community inside Israel, and rockets were fired from armed groups in Gaza, triggering Israel's large-scale military operation on the besieged Strip which killed 260 Palestinians, including 66 children, according to the UN. In Israel, 12 people were killed by rockets launched from Gaza.
The Israeli army on Wednesday said an additional 12 battalions had been deployed along the fence separating Israel from the West Bank and a further two battalions were deployed along the Gaza Strip.
The office of Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz said 1,000 trained soldiers were also to be sent to assist Israeli police in "internal security operations".
Troops will assist in gathering intelligence and guiding security operations against Palestinians who may be in Israel without a permit.
Former general warns of another Nakba
Meanwhile, requests for arms purchases by Israeli citizens have been on the rise, according to the Walla news website.
According to data from the ministry of public security, requests increased three and a half times from the same period last year, Walla reported.
More than a thousand gun purchase applications have been submitted since the beginning of March, and the number of applications has doubled in the past two weeks.
The latest incident has triggered numerous instances of settler violence in the occupied Palestinian territories, and in Bnei Brak - the scene of Tuesday's attack - scores of Israelis gathered and could be heard chanting anti-Palestinian slogans, including "death to Arabs".
Late on Tuesday, Uzi Dayan, a former Israeli army general and member of Israel's parliament, warned the Palestinians of another Nakba.
"The thing we need to tell the Arab community, even those who didn't participate in the attacks, is to be careful," he said.
"If we reach a civil war situation, things will end in one word and a situation you know, which is Nakba," he added. "This is what will happen in the end."
The Nakba, or "the catastrophe", is the name Palestinians gave to the massacres and forced expulsions they endured at the hand of Zionist militias in 1948.
This article is available in French on Middle East Eye French edition.
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