Jewish Settlers Attack Palestinian Towns, Clash With Israeli Troops

Jewish settlers launched a series of attacks on Palestinian towns in the occupied West Bank overnight, setting homes on fire and engaging in clashes with Israeli troops. There were no immediate reports of Palestinian casualties.

Jewish settlers attacked the village of Beit Furik

According to the Israeli military, the incidents began when settlers attacked the village of Beit Furik after troops arrived in the area to dismantle an unauthorized farming outpost the settlers had constructed nearby. The military reported that settlers threw stones, injuring two paramilitary Border Police officers, and some entered the village, setting property ablaze.

The West Bank has experienced a significant increase in settler violence since the onset of the ongoing war.

Fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah

Meanwhile, in Lebanon, a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah has remained in place, despite Israeli forces conducting new drone and artillery strikes on Tuesday. These strikes resulted in the death of a shepherd in southern Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his commitment to respond “with an iron fist” to any perceived violations of the ceasefire by Hezbollah.

Hezbollah began launching rockets, drones, and missiles into Israel last year, expressing solidarity with Hamas militants engaged in fighting in the Gaza Strip. The conflict in Gaza escalated after Hamas-led militants conducted a large-scale attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 250 hostages.

Intense military campaign in Gaza

In response, Israel has carried out an intense military campaign in Gaza, which, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, has resulted in the deaths of at least 44,500 Palestinians, over half of whom were women and children. The ministry does not specify the number of combatants among the dead. Israel claims to have killed over 17,000 militants, though it has not provided evidence to support these figures.

The war has caused extensive destruction in Gaza, displacing 90% of its population of 2.3 million, many of whom have been forced to flee multiple times.

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