Settler Violence = State Violence
Israeli settlers attack houses and vandalize property in Burqah, Nablus Districtת on two occasions in May and June 2023. Soldiers attack defending residents
5 July 2023
On Wednesday, 24 May 2023, at around 6:30 P.M., about 15 masked settlers, some armed with clubs, gathered on Route 60 near the town of Burqah and threw stones at passing Palestinian cars. They then advanced towards the western part of the town, attacked seven houses with stones and clubs, smashed five windows and destroyed six light fixtures. The settlers also smashed the windows of two cars parked near the homes and burned down an agricultural shed where 2,600 bales of alfalfa, one ton of animal feed, eight troughs, two saws, three olive harvesters, 30 mats, eight security cameras and electrical infrastructure were stored.
Soldiers who arrived on the scene after about 15 minutes threw tear gas canisters and fired live rounds at residents who came out to defend their property and tried to fend off the settlers by throwing stones. Seven village residents were lightly injured by shrapnel and taken to Rafidya Hospital, where they received treatment and were discha
On Sunday, 4 June 2023, at around 8:00 P.M., about 15 masked settlers, some of them armed with clubs, arrived in the western part of the town of Burqah, attacked five houses with stones and clubs and vandalized cars. The settlers smashed four windows, vandalized security cameras and lights, torched a parked car and smashed the windows of four others.
Town residents tried to fend them off by throwing stones, and then soldiers came and fired live rounds and tear gas canisters and threw stun grenades at the residents. Four town residents suffered wounds to their limbs as a result of the soldiers’ fire. They were taken to Rafidya Hospital in Nablus and discharged the same day. About 40 residents suffered gas inhalation and were treated by paramedics at the scene. The settlers and soldiers left the town about an hour and a half after the start of the attack.
