Settlers burn 20 Palestinian vehicles in al-Bireh, Deir Dibwan raids

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies + Al Mayadeen
4 Nov 2024 13:48
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Israeli settler violence continues as settlers raided the West Bank city of al-Bireh and town of Deir Dibwan, setting Palestinian vehicles ablaze and writing racist scriptures on the walls.

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Palestinian vehicles and the front of a residential building burned by Israeli settlers during an attack on al-Bireh and Deir Dibwan, November 4, 2024 (Social media)

Israeli settlers burned several Palestinian vehicles early Monday morning after attacking the city of al-Bireh and the town of Deir Dibwan, east of the occupied West Bank.

Palestinian media reported that a number of settlers attacked the industrial area in al-Bireh, setting several vehicles on fire before withdrawing. Firefighting trucks rushed to extinguish the flames that burned at least 20 vehicles.

It was also noted that settlers fired rounds of bullets in the air and toward civil defense vehicles upon their arrival to extinguish the fire, before fleeing the scene.

A Palestinian citizen noted that this is not the first time that "settlers have attacked the industrial area in al-Bireh."

Settlers also burned a vehicle in the town of Deir Dibwan, east of Ramallah, and scrawled racist slogans on a retaining wall.

Israeli colonists set fire to a number of Palestinian-owned vehicles at dawn on Monday after attacking the city of Al-Bireh and the town of Deir Dibwan to the east.

Credit: Shorouq Zaid/WAFA News Agency pic.twitter.com/4o3fzjcNXT
— WAFA News Agency - English (@WAFANewsEnglish) November 4, 2024

The Palestinian presidency called on the international community to intervene to protect civilians from settler attacks aimed at displacing Palestinians en masse.

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also emphasized that the international failure to stop the genocide in Gaza "encourages the terrorist settler militias to replicate their actions in the West Bank."

Palestinian Resistance calls for national unity, escalation

In the same context, senior Hamas official Abdul Rahman Shadeed emphasized that the settler attacks extending from villages and towns in the West Bank to its cities, the most recent being the terrorist attack on al-Bireh, represent "a serious escalation and new crime that necessitates intensifying resistance and confronting these atrocities."

Shadeed noted that this attack "marks a new phase of settler terrorism in the West Bank," affirming the "necessity of confronting settler crimes by all means and deterring their violations across all areas of the West Bank through all forms of resistance, making them pay for their crimes until they leave our land."

He added that the increase in attacks by settler militias in the West Bank and the ongoing assaults against farmers and olive harvesters are a continuation of the genocide and displacement policies adopted by the extremist occupation government, asserting that this will only increase the Palestinian people's attachment to their land and rights, and their determination to resist and cling to the option of resistance.

On its part, the Palestinian Resistance Committees confirmed that the attacks carried out by settlers on citizens' properties in al-Bireh and the burning of dozens of vehicles "come as a continuation of the genocide that the terrorist government is waging against our people in Gaza."

The Resistance Committees added that the aim of these attacks is to "impose new ground realities and displace our people," emphasizing that the Palestinian people in the West Bank and throughout all Palestinian territories are steadfast and rooted in their land, and will not be intimidated by the occupation's crimes.

The Committees also called on the Palestinian people in the West Bank to "escalate resistance and stand united against this ongoing aggression, and to quickly form popular protection committees to deter settlers."

A frequent reality

Settler attacks on Palestinian cities are extremely frequent. The Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission reported that occupation forces and settler gangs carried out 1,490 attacks in October alone.

According to the commission's monthly report titled "Occupation Violations and Colonial Expansion Measures," Israeli occupation forces executed 1,130 attacks, while settler gangs carried out 360 attacks, the majority of which were concentrated in Nablus (307), al-Khalil (280), and occupied al-Quds (179).

The assaults ranged from armed attacks on Palestinian villages to extrajudicial killings, destruction and leveling of land, uprooting of trees, seizing property, closures, and checkpoints that disrupt the geographical unity of Palestine.

Settlers conducted 245 acts of vandalism, preventing access to properties and stealing from Palestinians, particularly targeting olive harvesters. This included 26 instances of olive crop theft, 22 cases of harvesting equipment theft, as well as the theft of 15 tents and caravans belonging to citizens, and three vehicle thefts.