Israeli settlers storm Palestinian town, torch cars

Israeli settlers stormed the Palestinian town of Beit Iksa near Jerusalem early on Friday morning, torching two cars and spray-painting graffiti, the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported. The Palestinian Civil Defence rushed to put out the fires in the two vehicles following the attack. The settlers’ graffiti read: "Greetings from Ahuvia" - a reference to Ahuvia Sandak, a 16-year-old Israeli settler who was killed in a car crash in December after being chased by Israeli police, who pursued him when he reportedly threw stones at Palestinians. Sandak was a resident of Maoz Esther, a settler outpost which has not been authorised by the Israeli government. Approximately 475,000 Israeli settlers live in the occupied West Bank, which has a Palestinian population of 2.7 million. All Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are illegal under international law. Some settlers have established "outposts" without the permission of the Israeli government, on land owned by private Palestinian individuals. Read also: How Israeli industrial zones exploit Palestinian land and labour Settlers in Maoz Esther have been evicted several times by the Israeli government, only to return. Israeli settlers carry out regular attacks on Palestinian civilians and their property, throwing stones, destroying olive and fruit trees, and even attacking children. Following Sandak’s death in December, attacks by settlers increased. An 11-year-old girl from the Palestinian village of Madama near Nablus was seriously wounded and had to be treated for injuries to her head and face that month after settlers stormed the village. Also on Friday, Israeli soldiers shot and killed Atef Hanaysheh, a 42-year-old Palestinian man after he reportedly threw stones at them during a protest against settlement activity in the village of Beit Dajan near Nablus.