The European Union on Friday expressed its "shock" at the attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinians in the villages of Burqa in the Nablus district and Al-Mughayir (east of Ramallah) in the occupied West Bank, which led to the injury of Palestinians and the destruction of Palestinian homes and properties over the past days.
The diplomatic missions of 10 European countries, in addition to the European Union representative in the Palestinian territories, also called on Israel to stop all demolitions and confiscations in the occupied West Bank.
The Union added that UN data indicates that there is an upward trend in settler attacks on Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territories, and that these attacks are becoming more violent.
The EU called on Israel to take decisive steps to ensure accountability and protect the Palestinian civilian population, in accordance with its obligations under international law.
Five Palestinians were wounded earlier on Friday in an attack by dozens of settlers under the protection of the Israeli army on farmers in the town of Mughayir.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health said in a statement that "5 citizens – including a live bullet injury in the head described as serious – arrived at hospitals as a result of the attack of settlers and the Israeli army on farmers in the town of Al-Mughayir."
According to the mayor of the town, Amin Abu Alia, the settlers burned five vehicles and agricultural crops.
The settlers' attacks came at a time when the Israeli occupation forces continue to close the entrances to Al-Mughayyir village for the 14th consecutive day, prompting them to take rough dirt roads to reach their places of work, for allegedly throwing stones at settlers' cars at the entrances to the village.
The town of Burqa near Nablus also witnessed attacks by dozens of settlers on Wednesday.
Demolition and confiscation
On the other hand, the diplomatic missions of 10 European countries, in addition to the European Union representative in the Palestinian territories, called on Israel to stop all demolitions and confiscations in the occupied West Bank.
In a statement, the missions called on "Israel as the occupying power to stop all confiscation and demolitions, and to ensure unhindered access for humanitarian organizations in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem."
The European missions called on Israel "to return or compensate for all humanitarian items funded by donors that have been demolished or dismantled," noting that the total value of donor-funded materials that have been demolished, dismantled or confiscated by Israel since 2015 exceeded one million and 200 thousand dollars.
The missions condemned the demolition by the Israeli authorities of a school in the Bethlehem governorate funded by European donors and expressed grave concern about the threat of demolition of 57 more schools in the West Bank, the planned deportation of Palestinians in Massafer Yatta (south of Hebron) and the possible imminent demolition of Khan al-Ahmar village (east of Jerusalem).
Raids and arrests
On the other hand, the Israeli occupation forces stormed at dawn on Friday various areas in the West Bank, and launched a campaign of arrests among Palestinians.
The occupying forces raided houses in Balata refugee camp (east of Nablus), arrested two young men, fired tear gas canisters, and eyewitnesses reported hearing armed clashes with Palestinian resistance.
They also raided the town of Qabatiya (south of Jenin) and arrested a liberated prisoner and a young man from the village of Faqu'a (northeast of the city).
Two Palestinians were injured by rubber-coated metal bullets and dozens suffocated during the Israeli army's dispersal of the weekly Kafr Qaddum anti-settlement march east of Qalqilya.
Murad Ishtewi, coordinator of the Popular Resistance Committees in Kafr Qaddum, said the weekly march began after Friday prayers to condemn attacks by the army and settlers on Palestinians.
Similar clashes also erupted in the towns of Beita and Beit Dajan in the Nablus governorate, in which the Israeli army used rubber-coated metal bullets and tear gas canisters.
Field medics said they had treated dozens of people with suffocation from gas inhalation in the field.
A Palestinian youth was killed earlier on Friday after guards of the settlement of "Tana Omariam" - built on Hebron land (southern West Bank) - shot him after he infiltrated into the settlement.
Israeli Army Radio reported that a member of the army's alert squad in the settlement shot and critically wounded the Palestinian with a knife in his hand.
According to Israeli media, the Palestinian youth, attempted to carry out a stabbing attack near a synagogue where prayers were held on the occasion of the Revelation of the Torah (Shavuot).
A march for Hamas
The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) organized a mass march in the city of Khan Yunis (southern Gaza Strip) in support of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the occupied city of Jerusalem, in light of the escalation of Israeli violations.
Hamas held the Israeli occupation responsible for the repercussions of the violations and attempts to impose a temporal and spatial division in Al-Aqsa Mosque, calling for escalating confrontation and clashing with the occupation army and its settlers, and strengthening joint resistance action between all factions.