BETHLEHEM, August 3, 2026 (WAFA) — An elderly Palestinian was injured on Monday after being assaulted by Israeli colonists in the Abu Njeim area, southeast of Bethlehem, while Israeli forces raided the nearby Solomon's Pools tourist site.

Palestinian security sources told WAFA that a group of Israeli colonists attacked Yahya Alyan while he was on his land in the Abu Njeim area. The assailants severely beat him and sprayed him with pepper spray, causing suffocation as well as bruises and injuries across his body. He received treatment at the scene.

The same sources said Israeli forces also raided the Solomon's Pools tourist area, located between the town of Al-Khader and the village of Artas, and deployed around the second pool. No raids or detentions were reported.

The incidents come amid an escalation in attacks by Israeli forces and colonists across the Bethlehem governorate. In recent weeks, colonists have intensified assaults on residents of the Abu Njeim area, including attacks on homes, shooting at Palestinian vehicles, and assaults on residents and their property.

M.N