Illegal settlers injure local Palestinian official in West Bank attack

A local Palestinian official was injured Thursday evening after a group of illegal Israeli settlers stormed a village in the northern occupied West Bank, local sources told Anadolu.

Around 30 illegal settlers entered Al-Malih village and physically assaulted council chief Mahdi Daraghmeh, leaving him in need of medical treatment. He was transferred to a nearby health facility, the sources said.

During the raid, the illegal settlers also vandalized Palestinian property and set vehicles on fire, according to the same sources.

Israeli forces later entered the village following the assault.

The attack comes amid heightened tensions in the occupied West Bank, where Palestinian communities have faced mounting violence by illegal settlers in recent months.

Last week, Israel's government approved measures aimed at reshaping the legal and civil framework in the West Bank, steps Palestinians say are designed to further entrench Israeli control over the territory.

Israel has intensified operations in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since launching its military campaign in Gaza on Oct. 8, 2023. Palestinians view the escalation -- including killings, arrests, displacement and settlement expansion -- as a step toward formal annexation of the territory.

In a landmark opinion in July 2024, the International Court of Justice declared Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.