BETHLEHEM, Monday, January 4, 2021 (WAFA) – Palestinian villagers Sunday evening fended off a settler attack in Wadi Fukin village, to the west of the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem, according to WAFA correspondent.

Mustafa Sukkar, a local resident, told WAFA correspondent that dozens of Israeli settlers attempted to raid al-Miswana agricultural area, which belongs to the Sukkar family and is located between Wadi Fukin, al-Jab‘a and Nahalin villages, before the villagers fought them off and forced them to leave the scene.

He pointed that the settlers were attempting to temper with the agricultural land and uproot trees as part of their attempts to set up a new colonial settlement outpost.

He added that the settlers retreated to the surrounding hills, but did not leave the area, which raises fears among the Palestinian villages of a new impending attack.

Settler violence against Palestinians and their property is routine in the West Bank and is rarely prosecuted by Israeli authorities.

Settlers‘ violence includes property and mosque arsons, stone-throwing, uprooting of crops and olive trees, attacks on vulnerable homes, among others.

There are over 700,000 Israeli settlers living in colonial settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

K.T./ K.F.