Israel beefs up troops after massive rampage by Jewish settlers against Palestinians

HAWARA, West Bank — 

Israel sent hundreds much troops to nan occupied West Bank connected Monday, a time aft a Palestinian gunman killed 2 Israelis and Jewish settlers rampaged done a Palestinian town, torching homes and vehicles successful nan worst specified unit successful decades.

The responses to nan rampage laid bare immoderate rifts successful Israel’s caller right-wing government, pinch Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appealing for calm while a personnel of his ruling conjugation praised nan rampage arsenic deterrence against Palestinian attacks.

The events besides underscored nan limitations of nan accepted U.S. approach to nan long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict: Washington has been trying to forestall escalation while staying distant from nan politically costly task of pushing for a solution of nan halfway disputes.

As nan unit raged successful nan West Bank, specified an effort astatine conflict guidance was taking spot Sunday successful Jordan, pinch nan U.S. bringing together Israeli and Palestinian officials to activity retired a scheme for de-escalation.

Sunday’s events kicked disconnected erstwhile a Palestinian gunman changeable and killed brothers Hillel and Yagel Yaniv, 21 and 19, from nan Jewish colony of Har Bracha, successful an ambush successful nan Palestinian municipality of Hawara, successful nan bluish West Bank. The gunman fled.

Following nan shooting, groups of settlers rampaged on nan main thoroughfare successful Hawara, which is utilized by some Palestinians and Israeli settlers. In 1 video, a crowd of settlers stood successful dream arsenic they stared astatine a building successful flames.

Labor Party leader Merav Michaeli condemned nan rampage arsenic “a pogrom by equipped militias” of West Bank settlers.

Late Sunday, a 37-year-old Palestinian was changeable and killed by Israeli fire, 2 Palestinians were changeable and wounded and different was beaten pinch an robust bar, Palestinian wellness officials said. Some 95 Palestinians were being treated for tear state inhalation, according to medics.

On Monday morning, nan Hawara thoroughfare was lined pinch rows of burned-out cars and smoke-blackened buildings. Normally bustling shops remained shuttered. Palestinian media said immoderate 30 homes and cars were torched.

Shop proprietor Sultan Farouk Abu Sris said he concisely went extracurricular and saw scores of settlers mounting containers and a location connected fire.

“They didn’t time off anything. They moreover threw tear state bombs,” he said. “It’s destruction. They came base hatred.”

At nan segment of nan shooting, Defense Minister Yoav Galant told reporters that Israel “cannot let a business successful which citizens return nan rule into their hands,” but stopped short of outright condemning nan violence.

“I inquire everyone to heed nan rule and particularly to spot successful nan service and information forces,” he said

The Yaniv brothers were to beryllium buried successful Jerusalem connected Monday.

Lt. Col. Richard Hecht, an Israeli subject spokesman, described nan business arsenic “a tense quiet.” He said nan service deployed hundreds of further troops to nan area pinch nan purpose of de-escalation. Two battalions were sent precocious Sunday and a 3rd Monday, pinch respective 100 soldiers each.

The service has not caught nan Palestinian gunman. Israeli constabulary spokesperson Dean Elsdunne said that 8 Israelis were detained successful relationship pinch Sunday’s rioting and that six had been released.

Israeli troops besides began removing settlers from a antecedently evacuated colony outpost adjacent nan West Bank metropolis of Nablus. Several settlers had camped location pursuing Sunday’s deadly shooting, Israel’s nationalist broadcaster Kan reported.

Speaking astatine a colony outpost reoccupied by Jewish settlers aft Sunday’s shooting, nan firebrand Public Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, nan leader of nan Jewish Power party, called for a “real warfare connected terrorism” and legalizing nan outpost, which troops were erstwhile again clearing.

“We must crush our enemies,” he said successful consequence to nan Palestinian attack. As for nan settler violence, he added: “I understand nan difficult feelings, but this isn’t nan measurement — we can’t return nan rule into our hands.”

While Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog urged settlers not to prosecute successful vigilante actions, different members of nan ruling conjugation fanned nan flames.

Tzvika Foghel, a lawmaker from Ben-Gvir’s Jewish Power party, said nan rampage would thief deter Palestinian attacks. “I spot nan consequence successful a very bully light,” he told Army Radio erstwhile asked astir what nan interviewer referred to arsenic a pogrom.

Sunday’s unit has drawn condemnation from nan world community. U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said nan shooting onslaught and nan rampage “underscore nan imperative to instantly de-escalate tensions successful words and deeds.”

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said he held nan Israeli authorities responsible for what he called “the violent acts carried retired by settlers nether nan protection of nan business forces tonight.”

The unit erupted soon aft nan Jordanian authorities hosted talks astatine nan Red Sea edifice of Aqaba aimed astatine reducing tensions up of nan Muslim beatified period of Ramadan.

The Palestinians declare nan West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip — areas captured by Israel successful nan 1967 Mideast War — for a early state. Some 700,000 Israeli settlers unrecorded successful nan West Bank and East Jerusalem. The world organization overwhelmingly considers Israel’s settlements arsenic illegal and obstacles to peace.

So acold this year, 62 Palestinians, astir half of them affiliated pinch equipped groups, person been killed by Israeli troops and civilians. In nan aforesaid period, 14 Israelis person been killed successful Palestinian attacks.

Last twelvemonth was nan deadliest for nan Palestinians successful nan West Bank and East Jerusalem since 2004, according to figures by nan Israeli authorities group B’Tselem. Nearly 150 Palestinians were killed successful those areas, Some 30 group connected nan Israeli broadside were killed successful Palestinian attacks.

The West Bank is location to a number of hard-line settlements — respective of them successful nan contiguous vicinity of Hawara — whose residents often vandalize Palestinians onshore and property.