Mona Kandil
Press TV, Ramallah
Tensions in several areas in northern West Bank have been high in the recent days, particularly in the village of Burqa, northwest Nablus.
On Saturday night over 250 Palestinians were wounded by the Israeli forces in Burqa, one day after thousands of Israeli settlers attacked the village under the protection of Israeli army.
The Palestinian Authority held the Israeli regime fully responsible for what it described as expansionist colonial war. The PA also called on the international community to put pressure on the Israeli regime to stop its aggression and settlers’ violence.
The Palestinian factions have said the settlers’ organized terrorism requires the development of a popular action in various ways, this means forming popular guard and protection committees to defend the Palestinians and repel settlers’ attempts to storm Palestinian as a villages and towns. Anti-settlement organizations have warned that if the settlers’ systematic attacks are not stopped, they will turn into real massacres against Palestinians.
Almost ten days ago Israeli army imposed military reinforcements after an Israeli settler was killed in the Israeli settlement of Homesh near the village of Burqa. Since then, tensions have been high, as Israeli forces installed several makeshift checkpoints around the cities of Jenin and Nablus. Thousands of settlers have visited the site over the past days and terrorized Palestinians.
Today Palestinians in many areas are again facing violence and attacks from both armed settlers and Israeli forces, different political factions say there’s an urgent need for stepping up all forms of resistance against Israel. Palestinians also call for an international protection along with dismantling of all Israeli settlements.