More than 20 Palestinians injured after Israeli settlers rampage through West Bank village

More than 20 Palestinians were injured on Sunday evening in the occupied West Bank, as residents confronted Israeli settlers who rampaged through village of Burqa, under the protection of the Israeli military.

Israeli settlers from Homesh  attacked a house in the west of the village of Burqa and set the owner's car on fire, Sami Douglas, a local councillor and anti-settlement activist told The New Arab's sister site Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.

CCTV footage shared on social media showed masked settlers storming the village and attacking homes.

بالفيديو..هجوم همجي من مستوطنين "اسرائيليين" على أهالي قرية في الضفة ||

هجوم المستوطنين مساء اليوم على قرية برقة شمال غرب #نابلس بالضفة الغربية. pic.twitter.com/6SaxgIVI8y

— مدى العالم (@madaalam1) June 4, 2023

As Palestinian residents rushed to confront the settlers, they were then attacked by Israeli forces, Douglas said.

Clashes which ensued led to the injury of dozens of Palestinians and some settlers.

بالفيديو | إصابة مستوطن بعد الاعتداءات الأخيرة على قرية برقة شمال غرب نابلس في الضفة الغربية#احداث #فلسطين_المحتلة pic.twitter.com/82M6nVNygu

— احداث (@a7dass1) June 4, 2023

تصدي الفلسطينيين لاعتداءات المستوطنين في #نابلس ||

وقع عدة إصابات خلال تصدي الفلسطينيين لهجوم للمستوطنين على بلدة برقة شمال غرب #نابلس في #الضفة_الغربية pic.twitter.com/82N74aavjB

— مدى العالم (@madaalam1) June 4, 2023

Ahmed Jibril, a Palestinian Red Crescent official in the nearby city of Nablus said residents suffered injuries including bullet wounds and teargas inhalation.

Attacks by Israeli settlers have been on the rise ever since they returned to the illegal outpost of Homesh, which was evacuated in 2005. It sits on top of a hill east of Burqa. Earlier this weeks, settlers returning to the illegal outpost built a Jewish religious school at the site.

Israeli forces also stormed the town of Beit Furik, southeast of Nablus, on Sunday. A child from the town was reportedly taken to hospital for treatment after being hit by an Israeli military vehicle.

Elsewhere on Sunday evening, in the town of Sa'ir, north of Hebron, several Palestinians suffocated from teargas fired by Israeli forces.

Israel has repeatedly conducted deadly raids in the West Bank this year with Nablus and Jenin key targets of these operations.

Both Israeli forces and settlers have killed more than 160 Palestinians so far this year, in both the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Israeli authorities often turn a blind eye to settler attacks on Palestinians, or give cover to settlers.