Israel settlers shoot at journalists, attack ambulance in West Bank

Israeli settlers shot at journalists and homes and attacked an ambulance on Saturday amid a period of heightened violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

Settlers stormed the Palestinian village of Umm Safa near Ramallah, shooting at homes, said local mayor Marwan Sabbah.

A horse was killed and some homes partly caught alight, he was cited as saying by the official Palestinian news agency Wafa.

An ambulance and other vehicles were damaged, with a paramedic shot and mildly wounded while transporting someone to a hospital.

Wafa said the ambulance was shot. There were reportedly dozens of settlers who stormed Umm Safa.

The Palestinian health ministry issued a statement on the messaging app Telegram saying an ambulance with a patient on board had been attacked near Umm Safa.

Health Minister Mai Al-Kaila, who condemned the attack, said settlers threw stones at the vehicle, with the driver left injured.

The patient was not hurt, she said, urging the international community to protect medical staff and Palestinians from ongoing Israeli settler terrorism.

It was unclear why the details of the incident differed between Wafa and the health ministry's accounts.

It did not appear that two different ambulances were attacked as photos published by the two organisations seemed to be of the same vehicle.

A cameraman for the official Palestine TV, Mohammad Radi, said settlers shot at him and his colleague while they reported on the assault against Umm Safa. Their camera was damaged by a bullet, Radi said.

Separately, settlers attacked Palestinians and destroyed six tents in Al-Mughayyir, a village in Ramallah and Al-Bireh province.

Settlers attacked Bedouins camping in the village, witnesses said. An 80-year-old was taken to hospital after being hurt in the violence.

Israeli troops launched a raid and arrested three Palestinians, the witnesses said.