Israeli forces kill five Palestinians in West Bank as it escalates punitive measures

The Israeli army killed five Palestinians and closed several military barriers in the occupied West Bank on Thursday.

In the early morning, troops raided the town of Tammun, located south of Tubas, surrounding a house and killing five men inside after a firefight, according to local media.

Several roads were closed following a shooting attack on Wednesday that killed one settler and seriously wounded another near Salfit.

The closures coincided with settler attacks on main roads, as well as assaults on Palestinian vehicles and property.

In response to the shooting, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for the destruction of the Palestinian villages of Bruqin and Kafr ad-Dik, located near Salfit in the northern West Bank.

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His comments drew comparisons to the destruction of areas in Gaza, including Shujaiyya and Tel al-Sultan.

The far-right minister wrote on the X platform: "Just as we destroyed Rafah, Khan Yunis, and Gaza, we must destroy the terrorist nests in Judea and Samaria," using the Jewish term for the West Bank.

"Bruqin and Kafr ad-Dik should look like Shuja'iyya and Tel al-Sultan," he added.

'They broke into homes, vandalised them, and demolished the interior walls of one house'

- Faed Sabra, mayor of Bruqin

The mayor of Bruqin, Faed Sabra, told Middle East Eye that the Israeli army stormed the town with hundreds of soldiers after the shooting attack, conducting raids on all the homes.

Fifty soldiers also raided his house, and the officer in charge threatened that if the residents didn’t hand over the gunman, bulldozers and tanks would be brought in to destroy all the homes.

"The officer quoted Smotrich's tweet to me verbatim when he threatened to turn the town’s life upside down. They broke into homes, vandalised them, and demolished the interior walls of one house," Sabra said.

The town’s four entrances have been completely sealed off since Wednesday evening, leaving many residents unable to return.

Around 5,200 Palestinians are now trapped in the town, with no clear indication of when the entrances will reopen. Meanwhile, calls have spread urging settlers to attack homes in retaliation for the shooting.

"We are constantly exposed to settler attacks. A few weeks ago, they smashed the windows of homes in the village and attempted to set them on fire. They also vandalised vehicles. Our town is surrounded by the settlements of Barkan and Ariel, which are the launchpads for ongoing attacks against us," the mayor added.

The latest shooting attack is the fourth in the Salfit area in recent months, and the Israeli army has yet to locate the perpetrator, whom it claims is the same individual responsible for previous attacks.

Barriers closed

From Wednesday, Israel closed all barriers surrounding Ramallah, Nablus, and Salfit as a punitive measure, citing security concerns.

Hundreds of vehicles were stuck at these checkpoints for hours, with their owners forced to spend the night inside them. Some educational institutions also announced closures due to the sudden restrictions.

Israeli media reported a statement by far-right minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who demanded that Netanyahu permanently reinstate the barriers across the West Bank.

'Warnings are circulating among Palestinians not to use the main roads except in cases of extreme necessity due to settler attacks' 

- Mohammed Abu Thabet, journalist

According to the Palestinian Authority's Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, more than 900 military checkpoints divide the West Bank, in addition to dozens of iron gates that the Israeli army closes at will.

Following the shooting, settlers gathered at intersections between Ramallah and Nablus and began throwing stones at Palestinian vehicles.

The settlers also called for renewed gatherings on Thursday to attack Palestinian property and storm nearby towns and villages, particularly those surrounding Nablus and Salfit.

Journalist Mohammed Abu Thabet told MEE that settlers gathered near the Za'tara checkpoint, south of Nablus, and attacked Palestinian vehicles with stones. 

"Warnings are circulating among Palestinians not to use the main roads except in cases of extreme necessity due to settler attacks and racist calls," Abu Thabet said.

Settlers also gathered near the Eli settlement, between Nablus and Ramallah, and attacked other vehicles.

The same occurred near the Shilo settlement, north of Ramallah, amid fears that the attacks could spread to entire villages under Israeli military protection.

middleeasteye.net