Herders, journalists attacked as Israeli settlers bulldoze Palestinian land in West Bank

Herders and journalists were attacked by Israeli settlers bulldozing Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, sources said.

The incident took place in Khallet Taha, a village near Hebron, the official Palestinian news agency Wafa cited the sources as saying.

Settlers entered Palestinian land under Israeli military protection and started using a bulldozer and putting up a tent, according to sources.

The settlers were said to have flattened almost 15 dunums (3.7 acres) and be from the illegal Negohot settlement.

The sources said Palestinian herders who were present with their animals were pushed out.

Mashhour Wihwah, a cameraman for Wafa, was left bruised after being assaulted as he covered events on the ground.

Israeli settlers routinely attack Palestinians and their property in the West Bank – violence that has increased in recent months.

Settlements breach international law and are considered a key barrier to a workable two-state solution as they carve up Palestinian land.

There are more than 700,000 settlers residing in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Settlers in the West Bank are subject to Israel's civilian justice system while Palestinians in the same territory are put through military courts.

Amnesty International mentioned these military courts in its 2021 report that found Israel is committing apartheid against Palestinians.

There has been a growing consensus among human rights and civil society groups that Israel is engaged in apartheid, with Human Rights Watch and several Palestinian and Israeli organisations holding this position.

"Our organisations substantiate that Israel has created and maintained an apartheid regime over the Palestinian people as a whole, in violation of its obligations under international law," said eight groups, including well-known Palestinian legal rights NGO Al-Haq, in 2019.