NABLUS, Monday, April 6, 2020 (WAFA) – Israeli forces and extremist settlers today attacked the village of Qusra, to the south of the occupied West Bank city of Nablus, triggering confrontations, said a local municipal source.

Mayor of Qusra Mohammad Jaber told WAFA that dozens of settlers from the Israeli colonial settlement outpost of Esh Kodesh attacked civilians’ homes in the village, but the settlers’ attack was fended off by the villagers’ vigilante and emergency committees.

He added that Israeli soldiers intervened to provide protection for the settlers, firing live bullets and tear gas bombs at the villagers. No injuries were reported though.

He pointed out that settlers exploited the fact that the villagers are in quarantine after three tested positive for the coronavirus COVID-19 to sneak into and attack village.

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 almost 834,000 Israeli settlers living in colonial settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

K.T./ K.F.