Israeli settlers wounded five Palestinians, including two by gunfire, during an attack on a village in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, according to local officials.
The assault occurred in the Rashayda area near the village of Kisan, east of Bethlehem, where settlers reportedly fired live ammunition at residents, the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.
Musa Abayat, mayor of the area, said two Palestinians were hospitalised with gunshot wounds, while three others were injured after being beaten with sharp objects or struck by stones.
“The settlers also stole 100 sheep,” Abayat said, condemning what he described as “daily attacks” on Palestinian communities in the area.
He added that Israeli forces later arrived at the scene and detained several of the wounded Palestinians.
The incident comes amid a surge in settler violence in the occupied West Bank. Palestinian authorities and the United Nations say at least five Palestinians have been killed in settler attacks since the beginning of March.
According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, Israeli forces or settlers have killed at least 1,045 Palestinians in the West Bank since the war began.
