Illegal Israeli settlers torch Palestinian lands in central occupied West Bank

Illegal Israeli settlers on Saturday set fire to Palestinian agricultural lands in the town of Yabrud, east of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, according to Palestinian officials.

The settlers infiltrated the Bab al-Wad area and ignited fires in grassy fields and olive groves, the official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.

Large areas of cultivated land were damaged, while settlers prevented residents from reaching the scene to extinguish the flames, the agency said.

The attack came amid a surge in settler violence across the West Bank, where illegal settlers have staged assaults on Palestinians, homes, property and farmland, and established settlement outposts.

Palestinian figures show at least 415 settler attacks were recorded last month across the occupied territory.

Since the start of Israel's assault on Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, at least 986 Palestinians have been killed and more than 7,000 injured in the West Bank by Israeli forces and settlers, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

The International Court of Justice last July declared Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.