Overnight on Monday, Israeli settlers and Palestinians clashed near the West Bank village of Hawara, where dozens of settlers went on a violent rampage last week in retaliation for the shooting of two Israeli brothers.
After months of escalating violence in the occupied West Bank, Hawara, a Palestinian village near a major road checkpoint, has emerged as the latest flashpoint.
Israeli soldiers and border police broke up what the military called “a number of violent riots” near Hawara last night, and videos posted online showed a mob of young men in black attacking a Palestinian car before the driver managed to escape.
In other footage, it appeared that Israeli soldiers and Jewish settlers celebrated the Jewish holiday of Purim by dancing together in the town. The Hebrew words, “Hawara has been conquered, gentlemen!” can be heard.
Israeli forces have killed over 65 Palestinians this year, including militant fighters and civilians, and overnight US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for a de-escalation of tensions in the West Bank.
During the same time period, 13 Israelis and 1 Ukrainian woman were killed by Palestinians in a string of seemingly random attacks.
