Amnesty International strongly criticized the "Israeli apartheid regime" for its tolerance of settlers and its acceptance of the phenomenon of impunity, after criminal operations against Palestinians in the West Bank and its leniency towards them.
This came in the wake of the Israeli authorities' release the night before last of 6 Israeli settlers suspected of involvement in attacks that took place last Sunday against Palestinians in Nablus governorate, and the organization said that "under the Israeli apartheid regime, impunity prevails."
She said that despite the intensity and scope of Sunday's attacks, which left one Palestinian dead and nearly 400 injured, and despite a rare show of international condemnation of settler violence, Israeli police yesterday released six suspects arrested in connection with the attacks.
"At the same time, an administrative detention order was issued against two other people, in violation of international law," she added.
"The Israeli authorities have long enabled and incited attacks against Palestinians by settlers, and in some cases soldiers have been directly involved," said Heba Morayef, Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa Director.
"State-backed settler violence is rampant in the occupied West Bank, and towns and villages like Hawara, which were the focus of Sunday's attacks, are often targeted because they are surrounded by illegal settlements," the human rights official stressed.
On the night of Sunday 26 February, hundreds of state-backed Israeli settlers launched a wave of attacks against Palestinians in the Nablus governorate of the occupied West Bank, including in the town of Huwwara and in the neighboring villages of Burin, Asira al-Qibliya, Beit Furik, Za'tara and Beita.
The settlers burned dozens of Palestinian cars, homes, and fields, and physically assaulted the Palestinians, using metal rods and throwing stones.