Four Palestinians, today, including a teenager, were kidnapped by Israeli forces in the West Bank districts of Bethlehem, Hebron and Nablus, according to reports by local and security sources. Settler attacks occurred on farmlands near Bethlehem, causing extensive financial loss and property damage.WAFA Palestinian News & Info Agency reports that the army invaded the village of Beit Fajjar, to the south of Bethlehem, where they arrested two Palestinians, aged 17 and 20, after raiding their homes and destroying their furniture.
In the nearby village of Taqu’, soldiers raided and searched several homes, with no abductions reported.
Israeli soldiers also searched areas in the nearby villages of Nahhalin and Za’tara.
Meanwhile, in the city of Hebron, Israeli forces stormed and searched several areas before taking with them a 55-year-old individual.
In Nablus, this evening, the army raided the village of Madama, where they kidnapped one youngster, age 22, after breaking into his home and wrecking the furniture.
Late last night, WAFA further reports that Israeli settlers attacked large areas of Palestinian-owned land and destroyed crops in the village of Husan, west of Bethlehem.
According to a security source, a group of individuals from the illegal ‘Beitar Illit’ settlement destroyed large areas of planted land in the village, in addition to sabotaging irrigation pipes.
WAFA notes that residents of Husan have been subjected to frequent attacks by the settlers from Beitar Illit, with the latest attack taking place nearly ten days ago when settlers set fire to vast areas of land, chopping down trees and attacking local farmers.
Attacks on Palestinian farmers and international activists who accompany them, by both soldiers and settlers, are well documented in the oPt.
Just this past Wednesday, Israeli soldiers fired tear gas canisters at Palestinian workers near Bethlehem, causing a privately-owned poultry farm to catch fire and inflicting financial loss upon the farm.
A civil defense crew was eventually able to put out the fire.
Related: Lands Damaged in Preparation for New Settlements
