Night of fires near Nablus as settlers accused of rampage; graffiti targets military chief

Palestinians reported a night of violence near Nablus on Wednesday, with settlers accused of setting fires to vehicles and attempting to torch a home. Footage from the area shows residents desperately fighting fires that engulfed a convoy of cars, using their own resources in the absence of emergency services.

The incidents are part of escalating tensions in the occupied West Bank, where Israeli settlers and Palestinian communities have clashed repeatedly in recent months. The fires near Nablus, a major Palestinian city in the northern West Bank, mark another flashpoint in a pattern of confrontations that have intensified since October 2023.

Meanwhile, anti-establishment graffiti has appeared targeting a senior Israeli military commander at the centre of the current security operation. The messages, which include phrases like “revenge” and “go home”, reflect growing domestic criticism over the military’s approach to the situation in the West Bank and broader security concerns.

The incidents underscore the volatile situation in Palestinian areas of the West Bank, where Israeli military operations and settler activity continue to generate tension and occasionally erupt into violence. Palestinian officials have called on the international community to intervene and prevent what they describe as unchecked settler attacks on their communities.

Source: Ynet — Original article in Hebrew.