Israel Moves to Curb Settler Attacks on Christian Village

The Israeli military closed the Palestinian village of Taybeh in the West Bank to non-resident Israelis on Sunday, saying the measure was intended to curb attacks by Israeli settlers.

The order does not apply to Palestinians. The military declared Taybeh a closed military zone following a series of violent incidents involving Israelis in the area. Soldiers were instructed to disperse gatherings and detain suspects if the order was violated.

Taybeh, east of Ramallah, is the last entirely Christian village in the West Bank.

In June, Israeli settlers obstructed Palestinians attempting to extinguish a large fire near the village, according to Palestinian civil defense officials and a local priest. Father Bashar Fawadleh said settlers fired weapons and surrounded residents attempting to bring a water tanker to the blaze. The Israeli military also temporarily prevented firefighters from reaching the fire while security coordination was arranged.

Several Western countries have imposed sanctions on Israeli settlers and settler groups over violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.

A UN commission of inquiry has found that Israeli authorities were directly involved in some settler attacks that killed, injured or displaced Christian Palestinians and said security forces had in some cases failed to prevent or had facilitated settler violence. Israel has rejected the commission’s findings and says its authorities have repeatedly condemned violence against Palestinians.

(Reuters, est)