There were numerous incidents in which homes and vehicles belonging to Palestinian West Bank residents were set on fire by Jewish West Bank residents between Friday and Saturday, Army Radio reported.
Security sources have said that criminal incidents in the West Bank have increased in recent days. Israel's security establishment has also observed attacks by Jews in Palestinian areas in the past week.
The Palestinian village Al-Maniya, near Bethlehem, saw about 40 Israeli settlers enter the area, where they clashed with Palestinians, resulting in two Palestinians being wounded with stones that were thrown in their direction. The IDF arrived at the scene and calmed the situation.
A number of settlers set fire to two vehicles and nearly set fire to a house in the Palestinian village of Surif, according to security sources.
At the same time as the incident in Surif, incidents of settlers setting fire to the homes of Palestinian residents were reported in the village of Mukhmas, near Jerusalem. The IDF arrested one Israeli suspect in Mukhmas suspected of participating in the arson attacks. Police only arrived a few hours after the incident began in the village, and began investigating the incident.
According to the investigation, rioters at the village had forgotten one of their participants after fleeing the scene. The suspect hid and attempted to flee before being found and arrested.
The IDF responded to the incident in Surif, saying that as military forces arrived at the village, the suspects had fled the scene. One Palestinian was found slightly wounded upon their arrival, the military added.
Another incident saw Jewish West Bank residents setting fire to three vehicles on Friday night in the village of Al-Mughayyir near Ramallah, according to Palestinian reports.
Attacks come as new bill plans for Israeli sovereignty in the West Bank
The reports on attacks come as the Knesset approved this week to advance a private member’s bill to apply Israeli sovereignty in the West Bank, which passed 25-24.
The bill proposes that “the laws, judicial system, administration, and sovereignty of the State of Israel shall apply to all areas of settlement in Judea and Samaria.”
Keshet Neev contributed to this report.