Kathmandu— Israeli military operations and escalating violence from Israeli settlers have resulted in numerous Palestinian injuries and displacement across the occupied West Bank, according to reports from Palestinian health officials and news agencies. The incidents, occurring over the past several days, include shootings near Jerusalem, tear gas inhalation during raids in Tubas, physical assaults by settlers in multiple governorates, and ongoing sieges of Palestinian families' homes. These events are taking place against a backdrop of increasing settler numbers and a documented rise in settler-related attacks since October 2023.

Escalating Violence and Injuries

Israeli forces shot and injured three Palestinians attempting to enter East Jerusalem near the separation wall on Saturday, according to officials in the Jerusalem Governorate. These incidents are reportedly part of a pattern of daily obstructions faced by Palestinian workers barred from jobs in Israel since the start of the war on Gaza. In the Tubas Governorate, Palestine Red Crescent Society crews treated at least 11 Palestinians, including four children, for tear gas inhalation during Israeli army raids. Further south, in Masafer Yatta near Hebron, an elderly man was beaten by armed settlers before Israeli forces raided his home, damaging property and confiscating phones, as reported by the Palestinian news agency Wafa.

Settler Attacks on Palestinians

Multiple reports detail direct attacks by settlers on Palestinian civilians. In Arrabeh, south of Jenin, two young men were hospitalized after being beaten by settlers, while a 15-year-old boy received hospital treatment for severe injuries sustained in a settler assault in Tammun, Tubas province. Another child was also injured during a separate settler attack in the same area. These incidents follow separate attacks on Friday that resulted in the deaths of two Palestinians in Hebron and Jenin.

Siege and Displacement Concerns

The Hassan and Abu Rida families in Qusra, south of Nablus, have been besieged in their homes for 14 consecutive days by settlers, with Israeli forces maintaining a closed military zone around the area. Residents accuse the army of inaction, claiming it amounts to complicity in potential forced displacement. The Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission reports that approximately 780,000 Israeli settlers now reside across the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, inhabiting 192 settlements and 400 outposts – controlling 71 percent of Area C and 91 percent of the Jordan Valley.

UN Reports Document Rising Attacks

The United Nations humanitarian affairs office recorded over 1,330 settler-related attacks on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank between January and late July, averaging six attacks per day. This represents the fastest pace of such incidents since systematic tracking began two decades ago. As a result, more than 2,300 Palestinians have been displaced from their homes this year due to settler violence or related restrictions. A UN-appointed commission of inquiry has found that Israeli authorities repeatedly failed to prevent foreseeable settler attacks and, in some instances, directly enabled them through army protection and financial support.

The situation remains volatile with ongoing concerns about the safety and security of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and the potential for further displacement.

(With inputs from Al Jazeera)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.