Israeli Settlers and Soldiers Celebrate Forced Evictions, Kill Two Palestinians in West Bank Raid

A journalist who joined a tour led by Israeli soldiers and settlers in the West Bank reported that the group openly celebrated the forced evictions of Palestinian families. During the tour, one soldier told the reporter, "There are no Arabs here" [202787]. The tour marked the removal of Palestinians from their homes, amid a sharp rise in settler violence in the occupied territory, which the Israeli government supports [202787].

In a separate incident, Israeli forces opened fire during a raid on the village of Deir Jarir, near Ramallah, killing two Palestinians and wounding a third, according to Palestinian officials [200154]. Witnesses say that settlers from a nearby outpost arrived around 9pm, claiming they were searching for stolen livestock, and Israeli soldiers and police soon joined them, protecting the settlers as they attempted to seize villagers' sheep by force [200758]. The raid left two Palestinians dead and one hospitalized with a gunshot wound [200758].

Earlier, Israeli forces forcibly removed a Palestinian family from their home in the West Bank, which was later set on fire [202460]. The eviction occurred near an unauthorized Israeli settlement that had been established in the area earlier [202460]. The United Nations considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank a violation of international law [202460].

The Israeli military has not commented on the operations [200154][202460].