Israeli settlers kill at least one Palestinian in an attack on a West Bank village
A view of damaged homes and burned vehicles after an incursion by Israeli settlers into a town near Ramallah in the West Bank on April 12. (Issam Al-Rimawi/Anadolu/Getty Images)
Hundreds of armed Israeli settlers stormed a village in the occupied West Bank on Friday, setting fire to a number of homes and cars in one of the largest settler attacks this year, according to Palestinian officials.
At least one Palestinian was killed when Israeli settlers opened fire in the village of Al-Mughayir, east of Ramallah, according to the head of the village council, Amin Abu Alia. He said that he identified the dead Palestinian as a 26-year-old relative of his named Jihad Abu Alia, who was scheduled to get married this summer.
At least 25 other people were injured in the attack, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah, the scale of which has not been seen since hundreds of settlers stormed the villages of Turmus Ayya and Huwwara in two separate incidents last year.
Abu Alia told CNN that between 1,000 and 1,200 settlers surrounded the village, and about 500 of them stormed the village shortly after noon local time on Friday, closing all roads in the area.
He added that Israeli security forces informed Palestinian officials that settlers were searching for a 14-year-old Israeli boy who had disappeared earlier that day.
Abu Alia said that they attacked the village, raided the houses, and shot the residents. Videos obtained by CNN show parts of the village on fire, with smoke rising above many buildings and settlers throwing stones. Completely burned houses and cars were seen, with the sounds of gunshots and clashes in the background.
According to Abu Alia, the occupation forces arrived at the place around three in the afternoon, and did not prevent the settlers from attacking the village. He added that the occupation soldiers allowed them to raid homes, prevented Palestinian residents from moving, and prevented ambulances from reaching the wounded.
Abu Alia told CNN that settlers stole approximately 70 sheep from the Palestinian village.
In response to a question from CNN, the Israeli military said that “violent riots were incited at multiple locations in the area” after the search for the boy.
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