Vehicles Torched In West Bank Village As Settlers Blamed
Vehicles at a mechanic workshop and scrapyard in the West Bank village of Luban ash-Sharqiya were set on fire overnight, in an attack residents and Palestinian officials blame on Israeli settlers.
The blaze broke out late on Tuesday in the village, which lies south of Nablus in the northern West Bank. Video filmed by residents showed a large fire tearing through the scrapyard at night, as firefighters worked to bring it under control and flames spread towards nearby homes.
More than 50 settlers from nearby outposts took part in the attack and poured accelerant over the vehicles before setting them alight, local sources told the Anadolu news agency. The village council said the group had gathered in Wadi al-Shaer, east of Salfit, before moving on the northern edge of the village, in the area between Luban ash-Sharqiya and al-Sawiya.
Palestinian firefighters put out the fire. No one was reported hurt, and the number of vehicles destroyed has not been confirmed. Residents inspected the charred remains of the vehicles on Wednesday.
Israeli forces sent to the village
The Israeli military said security forces had rushed to the village after reports of arson and footage showing burning vehicles. Israeli forces searched the surrounding area for suspects, according to reports in Israeli media.
The attribution of the fire to settlers rests on Palestinian sources. Israeli outlets that relayed the reports, including The Times of Israel, did not independently confirm who set the fire, and no arrests have been reported.
The attack came on the same day that the Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission said Israeli authorities had approved shooting ranges at 31 settlement sites across the Ramallah, Jerusalem, Nablus and Jericho areas, a step it said would expand weapons training as settler violence rises.
Arson attacks on Palestinian property, including cars, homes and farmland, have repeatedly been attributed to Israeli settlers. Luban ash-Sharqiya sits on the road between Nablus and Ramallah, an area that has seen repeated confrontations between villagers and settlers.
