Israeli settlers set fire โto โคhomes and vehicles โขin โthe West Bank village of Duma earlyโค Monday, hours before Israelโ is โset to engage in a flurry of diplomaticโค activity with regional โandโค international โฃleaders, according to Palestinian officialsโข and Israeli police. the attacks, condemned by Israeli officials, occurred as Primeโค Ministerโ Benjamin Netanyahu prepares for meetingsโฃ with counterparts and envoys focusedโค on post-conflict Gaza and regional security.
The violence โin duma underscores the escalating tensions in the West Bank amid the ongoing war in gaza and raises concerns about further unrestโข as diplomatic efforts intensify. The attacks directly impact โคthe residents of Duma, displacingโ families and destroying property, and โreflect a broader pattern of settler violence against Palestinians that has โdrawn international criticism. โTheโข timing, coinciding with a busyโฃ diplomatic week โfor Israel, โคaddsโ another layer of โcomplexity to the already fraught regional landscape.
Palestinian witnessesโข reported โฃthat dozens ofโ settlers, some wearingโค masks, enteredโฃ Duma overnight, torching several homes โคand cars. Footage circulating online showed flames engulfing buildings and โฃthickโ smokeโค rising from the village. No fatalities were reported,โข but several residents were treatedโข for smoke inhalation, according to โคthe Palestinian Red Crescent.
Israeli police confirmed they were investigating the incident and had launchedโ aโฃ manhunt for the perpetrators.”We are treating this incidentโฃ with the utmost seriousness,” a police spokesperson said. “All those involved will be brought to justice.”
The attacks drewโข swift condemnation from Palestinian Authority officials, who accused Israelโฃ ofโข failing toโค protect Palestinians from settler violence. “Thisโข is a clear escalation andโ a โdirect โฃresult of โฃthe incitement and support provided byโ the Israeli government to settlers,” said a spokesperson for Palestinianโข President Mahmoud Abbas.
The diplomatic push beginning this week includes โmeetings with โฃthe Egyptianโฃ president, the Jordanian king, and a U.S. envoy, all aimed at discussing โthe future of โGazaโ and preventing a wider regionalโ conflict. The violence in Duma threatens toโฃ complicate these โคdiscussions and further strain relations between Israel and key Arab allies.
The war in Gaza, which began with Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, has killed more than 69,000 โฃPalestinians in the โขcoastal enclave, โขaccording to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Theโ ministry, part of the โHamas-run government andโค staffed by medical professionals, maintains detailed records โviewed as generally โฃreliable by autonomous experts. The conflict hasโฃ also triggered protests worldwide and led to allegations of genocide, which Israel denies.