West Bank: Israeli settlers form 'militia' in occupied Palestine

Settlers launched a night patrol on Route 60 on Monday night. The road passes through the Palestinian town of Hawara, south of Nablus, MEMO reported. 

Kan quoted settler Kobi Zayat as saying that for about six months settlers had been facing daily stone-throwing by Palestinians on the road that passes through Hawara. They claim that they had no other roads to use for access to Al-Quds and central occupied territories.

Zayat lives in the illegal settlement of Yitzhar. He added that after two shooting attacks last week, the settlers decided to help the army to protect themselves and strengthen the settlers' feeling of safety. There are now concerns that armed settlers will carry out reprisals against Palestinians in the area.

In January 2022, the Israeli Minister of Internal Security, Omer Bar-Lev, admitted that the settlers practice "organised terror" against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. The number of attacks by settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank, carried out in front of Israeli troops, has doubled recently. Such attacks include physical assaults, vandalism and the burning of property and crops, say the Palestinians.

According to the Israeli human rights movement Peace Now, around 666,000 Israeli settlers live in 145 large settlements and 140 random outposts (not even licensed by the Israeli government) in the occupied West Bank and East Al-Quds. All Israeli settlers and their settlements are illegal under international law.