16 Palestinians said wounded east of Bethlehem in attack by armed settlers
Some 40 settlers said to beat, spray tear gas and sic dogs on victims, including pregnant woman; IDF says it sent forces to break up violence; no reports of arrests
Sixteen Palestinians were wounded in a settler attack Friday outside the village of Al-Minya, east of Bethlehem, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent.
The Palestinian Authority’s official WAFA news agency cited Al-Minya council chair Zayed Kawazba as saying the settlers wielded sticks, rifle butts, tear gas and pepper spray. The attackers were said to burn two cars, ransack tents, and cause damage to vehicles and solar panels.
The victims suffered fractures and suffocation, and five Palestinians were taken to the hospital, said WAFA. According to Haaretz, the victims included a pregnant woman. Two of the wounded were said to have had dogs sicced on them.
The IDF said it sent troops to the scene, near where settlers have reportedly set up an illegal outpost. Security sources cited by Ynet said about 40 settlers were involved in the attack. There were no reports of arrests, which have been rare in cases of settler violence.
Haaretz cited the IDF as saying all victims sustained light wounds. The newspaper said the military confirmed at least six Palestinians were injured by settlers who broke into their home.
The paper said the attack took place near Mikneh Avraham, an illegal, months-old settler outpost that has been cleared numerous times by the military in recent months.
Violence has spiked in the West Bank following October 7, 2023, when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists invaded southern Israel to kill some 1,200 people and take 251 hostages, sparking the war in Gaza.
BREAKING: 16 Palestinians were injured and taken to the hospital for treatment after Israeli settler terrorists attacked them on their land in the village of Al-Minya, Bethlehem.
This attack comes with the support of the terrorist Ben Gvir, who visited this land yesterday. pic.twitter.com/5Zk6pHiVNz
— Ihab Hassan (@IhabHassane) February 14, 2025
In Al-Minya last February, settlers stormed Palestinians’ tents over several days and threatened to force out the southern West Bank community, according to WAFA. Troops were seen guarding the settlers on several occasions.
The IDF last month launched Operation Iron Wall against terror cells in Jenin and other areas of the West Bank, following a roadside bomb attack that killed one person and wounded four others in the territory’s north.
Since October 7, 2023, the IDF has said it arrested some 6,000 wanted Palestinians across the West Bank, including more than 2,350 affiliated with Hamas.
According to the Palestinian Authority health ministry, more than 900 West Bank Palestinians have been killed in that time. The IDF says the vast majority of them were gunmen killed in exchanges of fire, rioters who clashed with troops or terrorists carrying out attacks.
During the same period, 48 people, including Israeli security personnel, have been killed in terror attacks in Israel and the West Bank. Another eight members of the security forces were killed in clashes with terror operatives in the West Bank.
