Israeli settlers attack West Bank Palestinian hamlet, five hurt

RAMALLAH – A group of Israeli settlers attacked a small Palestinian community in the occupied West Bank, injuring several residents, destroying homes and damaging their electricity supply, the military and residents said on Thursday.

AFP journalists in the remote hamlet of Khirbet al-Tuba reported building structures blackened by smoke and fire, with the interiors of three houses completely gutted and walls covered in Hebrew-language graffiti.

Besides the homes, about a dozen solar panels — the main source of electricity for the isolated community — were damaged beyond use.

The Israeli military, in a statement, strongly condemned the attack and confirmed that several Palestinians were injured, including a woman and a girl, in the incident that occurred late on Wednesday night.

However, the suspects had fled before security forces arrived at the scene, the military said. Local residents confirmed five people were injured in the attack.

Radwan Abu Jundi, one of the owners of a burned home, said around 40 settlers attacked the village at 10pm local time, throwing stones before beating his wife and daughter and setting fire to a room in the house.

Khirbet al-Tuba, home to about 100 people, lies in the Masafer Yatta area, where Palestinian herding communities frequently face settler violence and home demolitions by the Israeli military.

The Israeli military said it would conduct an investigation. Palestinians and human rights groups, however, say such investigations rarely lead to prosecutions. – AGENCIES