Beit Furik, Nablus District: Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian homes with stones and torched a car and two structures

On Saturday, 16 November 2024, at around 9:00 A.M., dozens of settlers descended on the western side of the village of Beit Furik and spread out in the area. Some attacked homes with stones, while others entered farmlands, where they cut down some trees and set others on fire. Soldiers and Border Police officers arrived but did not intervene. When village residents came out to defend their property and tried to repel the settlers with stones, the forces fired tear gas canisters at them and ordered them to leave.

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The settlers entered the yard of one home, where they set fire to a shed, uprooted olive saplings, and damaged olive trees. They also set fire to an agricultural structure and a car parked near the road leading to the neighborhood. The fire spread to a utility pole. The attack lasted about ten minutes, and then the settlers left, heading toward the settlement of Itamar. The armed forces also withdrew.

Wael Hanani, 52, a father of four, said in a testimony he gave B’Tselem:

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That day, I was at work in the center of the village when I got a message on my phone that settlers were attacking my house, which was still under construction. I drove over immediately and saw several army and Border Police jeeps. When I arrived, the troops shouted at me and the others who were there, ordering us to leave. They fired tear gas canisters and dispersed the residents who were defending their property. 

I saw settlers smashing the window of my shed, where I keep materials for my job, which is upholstering sofas. They threw a small burning ball inside, and the room immediately caught fire. They also broke the trees around the house and uprooted several olive seedlings. Then they went over to a car and threw a burning ball into it as well. It caught fire, which spread to a utility pole, damaging it. 
Other settlers set fire to an agricultural structure belonging to one of the residents near my house. There were many settlers, divided into groups, and each group attacked something different. The attack lasted about ten minutes, and then they left. It seems they were content with what they did. As they retreated, lots of people from the village threw stones at them, and at that point, the soldiers fired live rounds and tear gas canisters at the residents, but thank God, no one was hurt. 

Some village residents helped me put out the fire with water and a fire extinguisher.