SALFIT, Friday, May 17, 2019 (WAFA) – Israeli settlers dawn Friday scrawled racist graffiti on several Palestinian vehicles in Marda village, north of Salfit.

Local sources confirmed that a number of settlers stormed the village in the early morning hours and spray-painted racist anti-Palestinian slogans on a number of vehicles besides to the walls of several houses.

Marda has a population of approximately 2,500 villagers who own 8,816 dunums, including 1,398 dunums (15.8 percent) classified as Area B, where the Palestinian Authority only assumes civilian control. In contrast, a total of 7,418 dunums are classified as Area C, where Israel retains full control.

Israel has seized 2,778 dunums, accounting for about a third of the village, for the construction of the nearby settlement of Ari‘el, one of the largest in the West Bank notorious for discharging its sewage into Palestinian land, which has a settler population of about 20,000.

Many Palestinian activists and rights groups have repeatedly blamed Israel for fostering a “culture of impunity” for Jewish settlers committing violent acts against Palestinians.

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.

Over 600,000 Israelis live in Jewish-only settlements across occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank in violation of international law.

K.F.