Israel continues its efforts to expand control over Palestinian territory in violation of international law.
At least nine Palestinians were injured after Israeli settlers attacked various areas in the occupied West Bank. A 45-year-old man was shot in the leg on Sunday during a clash with settlers in Deir al-Hatab, east of Nablus, the Wafa news agency reported.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) announced that a 47-year-old man was attacked by settlers in Jabal al-Arma in Beita, while others were beaten.
Earlier, Israeli settlers set fire to homes and cars in two areas south of Jenin and vandalized properties throughout the occupied West Bank.
Simultaneous attacks occurred on Saturday night in at least six communities, including the villages of Silat ad-Dhahr and al-Fandaqumiya near Jenin; in Jalud and Salfit south of Nablus; as well as in the agricultural areas of Masafer Yatta and the Jordan Valley.
The Palestinian Wafa news agency reported that houses and cars were burned, Palestinians were sprayed with tear gas and at least five people were injured during the attacks, which took place during the Eid al-Fitr holiday, which marks the end of Ramadan.
Sunday night's attacks came after settlers in the illegal Israeli settlement of Elon Moreh held a funeral for 18-year-old Yehuda Sherman, who was killed in a collision with a Palestinian vehicle in an area north of the attacked villages.
Israeli police said they are investigating claims by settlers that the clash was intentional.
The Israeli government is pressing ahead with plans to build new illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank, while international attention has shifted to the US-Israeli war against Iran.
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 25 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli settlers and soldiers so far this year.
Israel's security cabinet last month approved a series of decisions pushed by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Defense Minister Israel Katz, which enable Israel to declare large areas of the West Bank as "state property" if Palestinians cannot prove ownership.
The Palestinian presidency condemned this decision, calling it a "serious escalation and flagrant violation of international law," which constitutes "de facto annexation."
Amnesty International said the expansion of illegal settlements and state-sponsored settler violence in the occupied Palestinian territory are "a direct indictment of the international community's catastrophic failure to take decisive action."
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in 2024 that Israel's continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is illegal and must end "as soon as possible."
The judges highlighted a wide list of policies, including the construction and expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem, the exploitation of the area's natural resources, the annexation and establishment of permanent control over the lands, and discriminatory policies against Palestinians, all of which they said violate international law.
