Vehicles and houses were set ablaze during an attack in the village of Jit in the West Bank.
More than 100 extremist Israeli settlers rampaged through a Palestinian village in the occupied West Bank, burning cars and killing at least one person and seriously injuring others.
The attack, which was condemned by the Israeli Prime Minister’s office as well as the US and other allies, involved dozens of rampaging Israeli youths, many masked, setting fire to homes and vehicles with Molotov cocktails.
Rifles and stones were also used in the attack on the village of Jit, just west of Nablus – the latest in a series of attacks by violent settlers in the West Bank.
The attack came after nightfall and dramatic footage shared on social media showed cars and houses ablaze.
Israelis are currently setting fire to Palestinian homes, property and privately-owned vehicles in the village of Jit, just east of Qalqilia city pic.twitter.com/qRVPX3YAZq
The Palestinian health ministry said a 23-year-old Palestinian, named Rashid Sada, was killed and another Palestinian civilian was critically wounded by the “settlers’ bullets”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office issued a statement that said he viewed the incident with “utmost severity”.
It said: “Those responsible for any offence will be apprehended and tried.”
The White House said such attacks were “unacceptable and must stop”.
A White House spokesman added: “Israeli authorities must take measures to protect all communities from harm, this includes intervening to stop such violence, and holding all perpetrators of such violence to account.”
The Israeli military said that police and army units intervened and arrested one Israeli. It said it was examining reports about the death of the Palestinian.
“The IDF condemns events of this type and the rioters, who harm security, law and order, and divert the IDF and the security forces from their main mission of thwarting terrorism and protecting the security of the residents,” it said.
Palestinians regularly accuse Israeli security forces of standing by and allowing groups of violent settlers to attack their houses and villages and the incidents have attracted increasing concern internationally.
The US and a number of European countries have imposed sanctions on violent settlers and repeatedly called on Israel to do more to curb the attacks.