Israeli settlers attacked a Palestinian youth in the Tel Rumeida neighborhood of the Old City of Hebron, southern occupied West Bank, late Friday, causing him injuries.
Hatem Samih al-Muhtaseb, aged 22, reported that some 10 Israeli settlers attacked him using their hands and legs, causing bruises and pain across his body.
Al-Muhtaseb added that Israeli forces then arrived at the scene and secured the settlers’ way out of the area.
Tel Rumeida is located within the area of the city designated as H2, an area taking over the bulk of Hebron’s Old City that is under full Israeli military control, and the site of five illegal Israeli settlements which continually expand into surrounding Palestinian neighborhoods.
The Israeli-controlled H2 area is home to 30,000 Palestinians and around 800 Israeli settlers who live under the protection of Israeli forces.
According to Ma’an News Agency, between 500,000 and 600,000 Israelis live in Jewish-only settlements across occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank in violation of international law.
The Palestinian government has no jurisdiction over Israelis in the West Bank, and acts carried out by Israeli settlers often occur in the presence of Israeli military forces who rarely act to protect Palestinian residents.
