Illegal Israeli settlers attack Palestinians, foreign activists in southern West Bank

Several Palestinians and foreign activists were injured Tuesday when illegal Israeli settlers attacked a small community in the southern West Bank, according to a local activist.

Osama Makhmara, an anti-settlement activist, said a group of illegal settlers stormed Khirbet Aqawis, east of Yatta, assaulting residents and foreign supporters.

"The settlers beat people, leaving some with visible wounds and bruises," he told Anadolu in a voice message.

Makhmara also shared photos showing at least four people with bloodstains on their clothes after the attack, though no further details were given about their identities.

Communities in Masafer Yatta have long faced rising violence from illegal Israeli settlers, who regularly target residents and their property with assaults, arson, and land seizures.

Since the start of Israel's genocidal war on the Gaza Strip in October 2023, at least 1,016 Palestinians have been killed and more than 7,000 injured in the occupied West Bank by Israeli forces and illegal settlers, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

In a landmark opinion last July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory illegal. It demanded the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.