'Israeli' settler groups raid Islamic holy sites in West Bank villages

• 'Israeli' settler groups escalate assaults on Palestinian property and Islamic holy sites across the West Bank.
• Attacks unfold alongside army deployments, deepening pressure on targeted communities.

'Israeli' settler groups intensified their assaults Monday across the West Bank, targeting Palestinian property and storming Islamic religious sites in several areas. 

In the northern West Bank, settlers broke into Islamic holy sites in Awarta, southeast of Nablus. The sites hold religious and historical significance for Palestinians and have repeatedly come under attack during similar incursions.

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The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) first raided Awarta and forced shop owners to close their businesses. Shortly afterward, multiple buses carrying hundreds of settlers entered the town and headed toward the Islamic shrines.

The settlers performed Talmudic rituals inside the sites while soldiers sealed off the area and barred Palestinian residents from approaching. Residents described the scene as highly coordinated, with IOF clearing the way for the settlers’ entry.

Khan al-Ahmar village targeted east of Jerusalem

In a separate incident, settler groups attacked Khan al-Ahmar, east of occupied Jerusalem, an area facing long-standing threats of demolition and forced displacement.

The Jerusalem governorate said settlers fired live ammunition toward Palestinian homes. No injuries were reported, but the shooting spread fear among residents, particularly children.

The governorate added that IOF entered the village at the same time as the settler attack, deploying heavily around homes and restricting movement.

Confrontations in the Jordan Valley

In the northern Jordan Valley, Palestinians threw stones at a settler vehicle that entered the villages of Bardala and Kardala, northeast of Tubas. The incident came amid mounting tensions linked to repeated settler intrusions into agricultural communities.

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Residents say such incidents have increased as settlers expand their presence in farming areas, often accompanied by soldiers or followed by military raids.

Part of a wider pattern

The latest developments come amid a sharp rise in settler violence across the West Bank since October 7, 2023. Settler groups, frequently operating with the backing or protection of the 'Israeli' army, have targeted homes, farmland, vehicles, and religious sites.

Rights organizations warn that the repeated targeting of rural communities and religious landmarks reflects a broader policy of aggression and ethnic cleansing aimed at reshaping the demographic and geographic reality of the West Bank.