Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians last night in the village of Hawara in the West Bank, which was the site of a violent assault carried out by dozens of settlers last week in response to the killing of two Israeli brothers by gunfire. Hawara, a Palestinian village near a major checkpoint, has become the latest hotspot of tension between Israelis and Palestinians amid escalating violence in the occupied West Bank in recent months.
Israeli army and border police forces dispersed crowds that the military stated were participating in a number of violent riots in Hawara. Video clips shared on social media showed a group of young men dressed in black attacking a Palestinian's vehicle before the driver managed to flee.
Omar Khalifa confirmed that when the attack occurred, "real bullets were being fired at us, live ammunition, if it weren't for God's protection." He added, "My wife was sitting in the back seat of the car holding our daughter to protect her. We could have lost her; there was a real threat to our lives."
Other footage showed Israeli soldiers dancing with Jewish settlers in the town celebrating what is known as the Jewish holiday of Purim, while a voice can be heard in Hebrew saying, "Hawara has been invaded, gentlemen!" The Israeli army did not comment on questions regarding the footage of the dancing soldiers with settlers in response to a request for information about the incident and did not immediately respond to a Reuters inquiry about whether any arrests had been made.
Fa Issa Shuhada, a witness to the attack, stated that they approached the store carrying axes and stones. "They started throwing stones, and we confronted them, then soldiers arrived, and gunfire was exchanged while cars were smashed."
As the clashes in Hawara revealed an intensification of anger among Palestinians, they also unveiled political divisions within Israel, which have already been heightened due to a fierce battle over a proposed judicial reform plan adopted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government composed of religious and nationalist parties.
Opposition Labor Party leader Merav Michaeli tweeted: "A group of unruly settlers set out to attack innocent passersby in the village of Hawara during their celebration of Purim." She added, "These are not marginalized youth; this is the prevailing trend supported by two main ministers in the current government... both of whom are destroying Israel."
