ISRAEL’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir encouraged Israeli settlers to expand their presence in the occupied West Bank and urged tougher military action against Palestinian fighters in the area.
A new round of violence erupted between Israelis and Palestinians in West Bank this week.
The deadly clashes started after a pair of Palestinian gunmen killed four Israelis near the settlement of Eli in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday.
In response, hundreds of Israeli settlers stormed the Palestinian town of Turmus Ayya on Wednesday afternoon, setting homes, cars, and fields on fire.
Hours later, dozens of settlers also attacked the West Bank village of Urif to avenge the death of the four Israelis.
The latest round of violence killed one Palestinian in Turmus Ayya and another 12 were wounded.
The construction of new settler homes in the occupied West Bank follows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s announcement on Wednesday of plans to build 1,000 new homes in the Eli settlement in response to a Palestinian gun attack.
