RAMALLAH: Jewish occupiers on Monday torched Palestinian fields near West Bank city of Nablus in response to the evacuation by Israeli forces of a number of buildings from illegal settlements outposts.
Israeli security forces arrived at the settlement outpost of Adi-Ad, to the north of Ramallah, on Monday morning and destroyed a mobile home. They later demolished two sheds in the Nofei Yarden outpost and two containers in Mitzpe Danny, located in the same area.
In response, the occupiers set their “price tag” policy in motion, setting fire to Palestinians’ fields in the villages of Burin and Asira Al-Qibliyah in the area. Firefighters were dispatched to the area to put out the fire.
Local Palestinians reported that two people were injured from stones hurled by occupiers at residents and vehicles near the Huwara checkpoint, to the south of Nablus.
A Palestinian photojournalist, who arrived to cover the incident, was beaten up by the occupiers. Ja’far Ishatiyeh said an occupier had attacked him and ordered him not to take any pictures. “He kept on pushing me and hitting me with his leg,” he said.
No suspects have been arrested so far, but a Border Guard force detained two settlers for questioning on suspicion of blocking the route near Huwara together with a group of right-wing activists.
Yariv Oppenheimer, Secretary General of anti-settlement Israeli watchdog Peace Now, said in response to the torching of Palestinian fields in the West Bank that “the law enforcement authorities must take off the gloves in their war on settler violence, and claim a personal price from the settlers of illegal outposts and heads of the Hilltop Youth, who encourage riots against the Palestinians.”
