RAMALLAH (Reuters) -Dozens of Israeli settlers, some wearing masks, attacked a Palestinian village near the city of Qalqilya in the occupied West Bank, burning cars and killing at least one person, authorities said on Thursday.
The Palestinian health ministry said one Palestinian was killed and another critically wounded by Israeli settlers’ gunfire during the incident in the village of Jit, the latest in a series of attacks by violent settlers in the West Bank.
Footage shared on social media showed cars and houses on fire following the attacks.
The White House said late on Thursday attacks by settlers on Palestinian civilians in the West Bank were “unacceptable and must stop.”
“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,” a White House spokesperson added.
The Israeli military said police and army units intervened and arrested one Israeli. It condemned the incident, which it said diverted security forces from other responsibilities.
The military said it was examining reports about the death of the Palestinian.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office issued a statement saying he viewed the incident with “utmost severity”.
“Those responsible for any offence will be apprehended and tried,” 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 United States and a number of European countries have imposed sanctions on violent settlers and called repeatedly on Israel to do more to curb the attacks.
(Reporting by Ali Sawafta, additional reporting by Andrea Shalal and Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Deepa Babington and Miral Fahmy)
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