Illegal settler gunfire injures three Palestinians in West Bank

Israel's KAN public broadcaster reported that Jewish shepherds opened fire near Anata, seriously injuring two of the victims. Both were transported to Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem for emergency treatment. In a separate incident northeast of East Jerusalem, settlers attacked the village of Mikhmas, pelting stones at Palestinians and left-wing activists and causing damage to a vehicle.

Concurrent Arrests and Demolition Orders

While settler attacks unfolded, Israeli forces conducted a raid in the central West Bank, arresting a local council member at his home west of Ramallah, as reported by the Palestinian news agency Wafa. Further south, near Hebron, the Israeli military issued demolition notices for six under-construction houses in Tarqumiya, citing a lack of building permits—a common pretext for displacement in Area C, which is under full Israeli control.

Context of Escalating Violence and International Law

These incidents occur amidst a severe surge in violence since October 2023. Palestinian authorities report that Israeli forces and settlers have killed at least 1,102 Palestinians and injured nearly 11,000 in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem during this period. This ongoing reality stands in direct contrast to the landmark opinion issued by the International Court of Justice last July, which declared Israel's occupation illegal and called for the evacuation of all West Bank and East Jerusalem settlements.