Dozens of masked settlers attacked Palestinians harvesting olives in southern West Bank Saturday

By Emanuel Fabian

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Today, 6:49 am

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Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent

Dozens of masked Israeli settlers from an illegal outpost, riding on the back of a pickup truck and in another car, launched an attack on Palestinians harvesting olives in the southern West Bank yesterday, according to footage and the military.

The IDF says troops and Border Police officers were dispatched to an area near the Palestinian village of Sa’ir following reports of “confrontations” between Israelis and Palestinians during an olive harvest.

A Palestinian car was vandalized in the area, and the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that at least five Palestinians were injured.

The army says the troops acted to disperse the Israeli rioters and “imposed a closed military zone order in the area to restore order,” while allowing the Palestinians to continue the harvest.

Some time later, the army says it received reports and footage showing “dozens of masked Israeli rioters arriving in vehicles in the same area,” and again dispatched troops to the scene. However, the settlers had fled before the troops arrived, the military says.

According to the IDF, en route to the area, the troops spotted two suspicious vehicles and opened fire into the air. The IDF says the two cars then fled to a nearby illegal settler outpost.

“An inspection found that one of the vehicles, which bore a Palestinian license plate, was apparently stolen,” the military says.

The IDF says it “strongly condemns” the Israeli attackers, saying that “such incidents divert the forces’ attention, undermine stability, and harm the operational and counterterrorism activities of the security forces.”