Dozens of Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian towns in the northern occupied West Bank after a gunman killed two Israelis. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, one Palestinian man was killed and at least 100 others were injured during the attacks. Hundreds of cars and dozens of houses were also set on fire. The major violence occurred in Hawara, about 6 kilometers south of Nablus. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas accused the Israeli government of condemning “terrorist acts carried out by settlers under the protection of the Israeli occupation forces”.
Israeli settlers burn Palestinian homes and vehicles in the West Bank town of Hawara pic.twitter.com/R46GasR5Lw
— Palestine Highlights (@PalHighlight) February 27, 2023
The attacks occurred shortly after the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority, the governing political body of Palestine (which however controls only part of the West Bank), jointly announced their intention to work to contain the violence on the territory, which have intensified in recent months. The talks were held in Jordan with the mediation of US and Egyptian officials, and according to a statement, they included a commitment to reduce tensions to achieve a “just and lasting” peace.