Hundreds of Israeli settlers attacked different towns and villages near the West Bank city of Nablus on February 26. At least one Palestinian—identified as 37-year-old Sameh Aqtash—was killed, and more than 100 were injured, according to WAFA. Around 65 Palestinians, including 13 children, have been killed in 2023 by Israeli forces in the first two months of 2023 alone in the areas of occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
The settlers also attacked and burned dozens of Palestinian houses and vehicles across the region. Palestinians claimed that the settlers unleashed their violence under the protection of the Israeli occupation forces. They also claimed that the Israeli forces prevented medical aid from reaching those who needed it.
Nablus and nearby Jenin in the occupied West Bank have been the focal points of Israeli violence in the last few months. On February 22, Israeli occupation forces killed at least 11 Palestinians and injured more than 100 in Nablus in a daytime raid.
Following the attacks, Israeli forces imposed a siege around Nablus, restricting the movement of Palestinians, stated WAFA. The siege of Nablus was intensified when Israeli occupation forces increased deployment, claiming that they were attempting to apprehend the gunman who allegedly opened fire and killed two Israeli settlers in Huwara, just south of Nablus, in late February.
from the Peoples Dispatch / Globetrotter News Service
