Gaza city: The Beit Furik Municipality, located east of Nablus, announced on Thursday that surveillance footage captured Israeli colonists deliberately igniting agricultural land in the Beit Furik-Beit Dajan plain. This incident, which occurred earlier in the day, led to a significant fire that consumed vast areas of cultivated farmland.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, the municipality released a statement condemning the attacks on agricultural land. The fire reportedly started around 10:30 a.m. when a colonist set the area ablaze, as confirmed by surveillance footage and local resident testimonies. Residents attempted to extinguish the fire and protect their land but were met with resistance from dozens of Israeli colonists. These colonists, under the protection of Israeli forces, prevented residents from accessing the burning areas at gunpoint.
The municipality further reported that colonists fired live ammunition at farmers and firefighting crews trying to reach the site, while Israeli forces deployed tear gas. The colonists continued to ignite new fires whenever residents managed to control parts of the blaze, exacerbating the spread of the fires.
The municipality stated that these actions by Israeli colonists and occupation forces resulted in the deaths of two young Palestinians, whose bodies have not been returned by Israeli authorities. Several others sustained injuries from live ammunition and tear gas inhalation, with two Palestinians still hospitalized, one in serious condition.
The statement highlighted that the attacks are part of a recurring pattern of assaults on the plain, executed by colonists under Israeli forces' protection. Over six farmers have been injured in the area in recent weeks, along with two other Palestinians in the town's eastern part. Significant damage has also been reported to property and vehicles.
The municipality noted that Beit Furik is under strict closure, with continuous military raids and repeated colonist attacks worsening the residents' conditions, threatening their safety and livelihoods.
Holding Israeli authorities accountable for the attacks and their consequences, the municipality urged intervention from the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and other international and humanitarian organizations. They called for urgent measures to protect civilians, stop the repeated attacks on Palestinians and their property, and ensure accountability in line with international law.