Settler Violence Escalates Across Nablus, Leaving Communities Under Siege

NABLUS, occupied West Bank / PNN /

Nablus Governor Ghassan Daghlas said Israeli military operations and attacks by Israeli settlers across the governorate have killed six Palestinians and left dozens injured or detained over the past two days, describing the developments as "a real assault" fueled by prolonged international inaction.

Speaking in a press statement, Daghlas said Nablus remains under siege and has been subjected to continuous military raids and settler violence, which he said have intensified significantly over the past 48 hours.

He said the village of Tal remains surrounded by Israeli forces, with troops conducting house raids, field interrogations and what he described as abuses against residents.

Daghlas called on the Palestinian leadership to intensify diplomatic efforts to pressure the international community to halt what he described as Israel's assault on the governorate. He also urged Palestinian authorities to give Nablus priority in the supply of fuel and essential commodities amid the ongoing security situation.

Referring to the recent events in the village of Sura, Daghlas described the attack as "a major terrorist assault," saying more than 300 Israeli settlers stormed the village in broad daylight, setting fire to six homes and three vehicles.

He added that neighboring villages have also come under attack, citing incidents in Urif involving the burning of homes and vehicles, and ongoing land bulldozing in Madama and Sura.

"The blood of Palestinians is not cheap, nor should it become campaign material for Netanyahu or Israel's far-right parties," Daghlas said.

He argued that the international community's silence has effectively given Israeli settlers and the Israeli government "a green light" to continue attacks against Palestinians.

Daghlas appealed to diplomats and foreign consuls to visit Nablus, witness conditions on the ground and work to end what he described as the siege imposed on towns across the governorate.

Nablus Governor Says Israeli Military Raids and Settler Attacks Have Killed Six Palestinians in Two Days

Wave of Settler Attacks Engulfs Nablus, Leaving Dead, Homes Burned and Communities Under Siege

His remarks followed a night of intensified violence marked by settler attacks carried out with what Palestinian officials described as the backing of Israeli authorities, after Israel announced plans to expand military operations in Nablus and other parts of the occupied West Bank.

Palestinian sources, citing Israeli Army Radio, said four new settler outposts had been established since the previous night around Nablus following the attack on Tal. According to the reports, one outpost was erected near Tal, while three others were established near Awarta, Asira al-Qibliya and Mount Ebal.

Israeli forces continued operations in Tal on Wednesday, maintaining the siege, conducting house raids, detaining and arresting residents, and taking over several homes after forcing families to leave, according to Palestinian sources.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society said its crews treated a 31-year-old man who was beaten by Israeli soldiers in Tal.

Local residents also reported that Israeli settlers continued uprooting hundreds of olive trees in the villages of Tal, Burin and Madama, south of Nablus.

Since Tuesday night, settlers have carried out a series of attacks across the governorate, including the burning of homes, vehicles and a stone quarry in Urif, south of Nablus, according to local sources.

Palestinian sources also reported that an infant survived after settlers set fire to her family's home in Urif. Settlers were also reported to have attacked civilian vehicles and an ambulance near Za'atara checkpoint southeast of Nablus.

Elsewhere, settlers allegedly set fire to agricultural land near the settlement of Shavei Shomron, built on land northwest of Nablus, while additional attacks in Sura resulted in homes and vehicles being burned and several Palestinians injured.

Local sources further reported that settlers erected new tents at a settlement outpost in the plain of Osarin, southeast of Nablus, and ignited fires near the town of Sebastia northwest of the city.

In northern Nablus, settlers reportedly blocked the road linking Askar al-Balad and Asira al-Shamaliya, disrupting civilian movement, while Israeli forces raided the entrance to the town of Qabalan south of Nablus and fired tear gas canisters during the operation. ...