Gaza: What began as an ordinary Saturday morning in the southern outskirts of Nablus quickly turned into a scene of violence and chaos for residents of Huwara, after dozens of Israeli settlers stormed the area, attacking civilians, stealing livestock, and damaging property in a coordinated and sudden raid.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, at around 11 a.m. on Saturday, local resident Bassam Sheikh, who runs a vehicle body and paint workshop in Huwara, noticed unusual movement as groups of masked settlers arrived in four-wheel-drive vehicles, many carrying rifles, clubs, and metal rods. Within moments, they were driving herds of sheep through the area.
Bassam Sheikh recounted that the settlers were organized, moving quickly, and stealing dozens of sheep. Fearing for their safety, he and others took shelter inside his garage along with his son and neighbors. However, the relative calm did not last as the attackers soon returned, shouting and launching a violent assault on those inside. His son and a neighbor were both injured, suffering fractures after being beaten while trying to shield themselves.
The situation escalated when one of the settlers fired live rounds inside the garage, forcing the group to take cover behind vehicles to avoid gunfire. Sheikh expressed that they came with the intention to kill, leading to a feeling of insecurity in their workplaces. The violence further intensified as settlers blocked access roads, preventing residents from calling for help or receiving assistance for more than half an hour. The attackers smashed the windows of four vehicles, stole two cars, and looted tools and a bicycle from inside the workshop before fleeing the area.
As they withdrew toward a nearby outpost south of the village, the attackers continued assaulting two young men in the vicinity, leaving one with serious facial injuries, including fractures to the nose and skull. Local authorities in Huwara reported that emergency teams treated around 10 injuries caused by both gunfire and physical assault during the raid on the southern part of the town.
Rana Abu Haniya, spokesperson for the municipality, confirmed that municipal staff observed settler movements around the same time near the home of another resident, Saeed Ahmed Odeh. She verified that sheep were stolen from one property while other groups targeted additional homes and infrastructure. Abu Haniya added that the attack on Sheikh's garage involved gunfire, extensive property damage, and the theft of multiple vehicles and equipment, identifying it as part of a wider pattern of repeated assaults on the community.
This incident occurs amid a continuing increase in reported settler violence. The Palestinian Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission documented 1,659 attacks during May alone, carried out by both settlers and Israeli forces across the occupied territory. According to the commission, these incidents have concentrated heavily in areas including Nablus, Hebron, and Ramallah, reflecting an intensifying and systematic pattern of attacks on Palestinian communities and property.