RAMALLAH: Palestine Vice President Hussein Al-Sheikh called on a number of Arab countries and international states on Friday, urging them to assume their responsibilities and protect the Palestinian people from attacks by Israeli colonists and occupation forces.
Al-Sheikh said his urgent plea came amid escalating attacks by settlers and Israeli forces, most recently in the towns of Tell, Deir Jarir, Al-Mughayyir, and Beit Furik as well as other villages and refugee camps, that resulted in killings, the burning of crops, livestock theft, and the cutting down of trees.
He said the ongoing attacks represented an “unprecedented assault on people, trees and stones,” warning that a continuation could lead to serious consequences.
Al-Sheikh called on the international community to intervene urgently to protect Palestinians and work to halt the organized attacks carried out by Israeli settlers and occupation forces.
The appeal came as settlers attacked the Ein Samia water wells east of the town of Kafr Malik in the Ramallah and Al-Bireh governorate on Friday, damaging water pipelines and causing a temporary suspension of water pumping operations.
The Jerusalem Water Undertaking said in a statement that its technical teams were monitoring the situation and working to restore operations as quickly as possible. It added this was the third settler attack targeting the Ein Samia wells within a week, describing it as part of an ongoing escalation against water infrastructure.
The utility said targeting water facilities constituted a direct attack on essential services and Palestinians’ right to access water, saying the Ein Samia wells were the primary water source for villages and communities north and east of Ramallah.
It added that it was holding intensive talks with international parties to secure protection for the Ein Samia wells, which supply water to tens of thousands of Palestinians, and prevent further attacks.
The Jerusalem Water Undertaking said it was also coordinating with the Palestinian Water Authority and the Civil Affairs Authority to press for an end to the attacks, enable technical crews to access the site, repair the damage, and resume water pumping as soon as possible.
Also on Friday, Israeli forces tightened military restrictions at the Tayasir and Ein Shibli military checkpoints in the northern Jordan Valley, disrupting the movement of Palestinian vehicles. Local sources said the heightened measures caused significant delays for motorists attempting to reach their destinations.
The Tayasir checkpoint is located east of Tubas, while the Ein Shibli checkpoint is situated at the eastern entrance to the village of Ein Shibli. The two checkpoints separate the Palestinian Jordan Valley from the rest of the occupied West Bank.
Israeli forces also intensified military measures north of the cities of Ramallah and Al-Bireh in the central West Bank.
Local sources said Israeli soldiers detained several young Palestinian men at the Atara checkpoint north of Ramallah, subjecting them to abuse while carrying out slow inspections.
Soldiers stationed at the Ein Siniya military checkpoint fired tear gas canisters toward Palestinian vehicles and obstructed traffic for more than two hours.
