Following a horrific terror assault in which two Israeli brothers were killed and riots in the Palestinian Authority-run town of Huwara close to Nablus, the Israeli army has sent additional battalions to the Nablus area in the West Bank.
The killing of two Israeli brothers, Hallel and Yagel Yaniv, from the nearby Jewish settlement of Har Bracha on Sunday night, sparked a vengeful rampage that lasted more than five hours and involved around 400 Jewish settlers who stormed Huwara, flung stones at homes, and burned homes and cars on fire.
Israel Calls Up Army Battalions
The majority of the families residing in those 36 burned-down homes had to be evacuated. Several vehicles, olive trees, and animals were set on fire. According to the Palestinian health ministry, Israeli fire on Sunday resulted in the shooting and death of a 37-year-old male.
According to the Palestinian Red Crescent, a fourth person was beaten with an iron club while two others were shot and injured. 95 patients received treatment for smoke and tear gas inhalation.
The official also admitted that the violent incidents on Sunday night diverted the forces pursuing the Palestinian attacker who killed the two Israelis and allowed him to flee.
The right-wingest administration in Israeli history led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came under fire for failing to stop a spike in violence and for sending conflicting signals.
While calling for calm, Netanyahu’s coalition partner applauded the rampage as a deterrent to Palestinian attacks. The Israeli army received flak for its inability to act swiftly to put an end to the rioting, the worst such violence in decades.
The incidents also served to highlight the shortcomings of Washington’s long-standing strategy for resolving the protracted Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which has mostly focused on de-escalation rather than the politically risky task of pursuing a settlement of the fundamental disagreements.
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West Bank Violence
Such a conflict management effort was underway on Sunday in Jordan while the violence raged in the West Bank, with the US bringing together Israeli and Palestinian officials to develop a de-escalation strategy.
The West Bank, east Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip were taken by Israel during the Middle East conflict of 1967, and the Palestinians claim these territories for a future state. There are about 700,000 Israeli settlers in east Jerusalem and the West Bank. Israel’s settlements are overwhelmingly viewed as illegitimate and barriers to peace by the international community.
Sixty-two Palestinians have died this year so far, with half of them being members of armed organizations, at the hands of Israeli soldiers and civilians. In the same time frame, Palestinian attacks have claimed the lives of 14 Israelis, all but one of whom were civilians.
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