Ramallah:Several Palestinians and a foreign journalist were injured on Friday as Israeli colonists launched widespread attacks on Palestinian residents and olive pickers in the villages of Burqa and Abu Falah, as well as the town of Turmus Ayya, located in the central West Bank province of Ramallah.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA, the attacks were carried out with the protection of Israeli occupation forces. These incidents involved live fire, physical assaults, and the burning of vehicles and olive trees. Israeli forces also fired heavy volleys of tear gas at farmers, leading to numerous cases of suffocation.
Large groups of colonists reportedly attacked olive pickers in the al-Nab'at area of Turmus Ayya, assaulting them and setting fire to three vehicles, olive trees, and a vehicle belonging to Civil Defense volunteers. A Civil Defense volunteer was also assaulted and injured.
In Abu Falah, colonists attacked olive pickers and set olive trees on fire. Israeli forces fired live ammunition and tear gas at residents, seemingly to force farmers off their land. The Palestine Red Crescent Society treated two Palestinians beaten by colonists—a 63-year-old woman and a 40-year-old man—both of whom were transferred to the hospital. Additionally, a Palestinian man was shot in the thigh, and a foreign journalist was physically assaulted by colonists.
The attacks continued in Abu Falah and Turmus Ayya with Israeli forces firing tear gas at farmers, resulting in more cases of suffocation. In Burqa, four Palestinians were injured when colonists attacked them during olive harvesting in the Khallet Ali area. The injured were transported to the hospital by Red Crescent crews.