Israeli settlers slashed today the tires of several Palestinian-owned vehicles and spray-painted racist slogans in the occupied West Bank city of Salfit, local sources said.
The sources told WAFA that settlers sneaked their way into the city early at dawn, slashed the tires of 10 vehicles, and spray-painted racist and anti-Palestinian slogans on the walls of homes located in the northern part of the city.
Extremist Israeli settlers’ violence against Palestinians and their property is routine in the West Bank and is rarely prosecuted by Israeli authorities.
“Settler violence has long since become part of Palestinians’ daily life under occupation. Israeli security forces enable these actions, which result in Palestinian casualties – injuries and fatalities – as well as damage to land and property. In some cases, they even serve as an armed escort, or even join in the attacks,” said the Israeli information center for human rights in occupied territories, B’Tselem.
“Investigations, if even opened, are usually closed with no action taken against perpetrators as part of an undeclared policy of leniency. The long-term effect of this violence is the dispossession of Palestinians from increasing parts of the West Bank, making it easier for Israel to take over land and resources,” said B’Tselem.
All settlements across the West Bank are illegal under international law, particularly article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which establishes that the occupying power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies.
Source: Palestine News & Information Agency