US condemns ‘shocking’ clip of settlers assaulting West Bank hikers

The US condemns a group of Israeli settlers who were filmed last week assaulting a group of West Bank hikers made up of Palestinians and foreign nationals.

“The video showing Friday’s brazen assault on hikers, among them American citizens, north of Jericho is shocking. Those who incite violence + exacerbate tensions must stop,” tweets the US Embassy in Jerusalem’s Office of Palestinian Affairs.

In the footage, a young Jewish man can be seen swinging a club at the hikers, who back away and scream as he attacks them. Two women were injured by at least one of the youths, who assaulted them with a wooden club, and subsequently received medical treatment in Ramallah for their injuries. According to two eyewitnesses, the Israeli youths also fired pepper spray at some of the hikers.

As rights groups have lamented has long been the case in such incidents of settler violence, no arrests have been made yet of the Israeli suspects.

ארוע אלימות מתנחלים אתמול בבקעת הירדן: הפלסטינים תיעדו 3 מתנחלים תוקפים במקלות מטיילים פלסטינים ותיירים מחו״ל באזור יריחו. עד כה ללא עצורים. pic.twitter.com/W4s2aKZ5Ly

— Or Heller אור הלר (@OrHeller) January 14, 2023