In a serious escalation, a large group of illegal paramilitary colonizers attacked Palestinian citizens and their property, late Wednesday night and for several hours, in separate areas of Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron in the southern occupied West Bank.
Media sources said that armed Israeli settlers, under the protection of the Israeli army, injured several citizens, burned two homes in addition to a large area of land, and stole dozens of sheep belonging to local residents in the “Khallet al-Dabaa” area in Masafer Yatta.
Eyewitnesses told WAFA that, “More than 200 armed colonists, under the protection of the Israeli occupation forces, attacked the homes and property of citizens in “Khallet al-Dabaa” in Masafer Yatta.”
Sources added that armed colonizers opened fire with live rounds towards citizens’ homes, burned a large area of agricultural lands, assaulted civil defense crews and destroyed the fire engine.
The colonizers proceeded to burn two homes and smash the windows and doors of many other homes, destroyed several vehicles, in addition to smashing solar energy cells.
Additionally the settlers assaulted men, women, and children with clubs and rocks, causing various bruises and injuries, and blocked ambulance crews from approaching the wounded, all while occupation soldiers watched.
Local resident, Jaber Al-Dababsa, told a WAFA correspondent that, “The occupation forces that were present at the place provided protection and assistance to the colonists in their assault on the people, and prevented and obstructed the arrival of fire trucks and ambulances, as well as solidarity activists, to the area.”
Sources added that the colonizers stole more than eighty sheep belonging to local Palestinian farmers.
Moreover, media sources reported that Israeli forces abducted at least one Palestinian young man, whose identity was not known at the time of writing this report.
Earlier Wednesday, colonizers hurled rocks at Palestinian-owned vehicles near the “Ma’on” settlement, while others cut off the water supply to the nearby “Umm Al-Khair” community in Masafer Yatta.
Media sources said that another group of armed paramilitary settlers hurled rocks at citizens’ vehicles, smashing their windows, near the illegal “Ma’on” settlement, built on expropriated Palestinian lands.
Furthermore, in the nearby “Umm Al-Khair” community in Masafer Yatta, colonizers from the “Shimon” colonial outpost, destroyed the water line which supplies water to at least thirty homes.
