Israel settlers cause power outage in West Bank village for third night in a row

For the third night in a row, Israeli settlers have triggered a power outage in the village of Yasouf, east of Salfit, reported Wafa news agency.

Wael Abu Madi, head of the Yasouf village council, reported that settlers from the illegal Tafuh settlement, built on Palestinian land, fired at the village’s electricity transformer, resulting in a complete blackout.

He said, “This is the third time that colonists have caused a power outage in the village, as they previously destroyed and burned the electricity room feeding the village, which caused significant damage to citizens and shop owners.”

Moreover, Israeli forces then blocked village council workers and technicians from fixing the damage, forcing them to leave the area.

Abu Madi further noted that this is just one in a series of ongoing settler attacks on Yasouf, which include assaults on Palestinian residents, blocking access to their lands, closing the village’s main entrance and repeated power disruptions.

Tensions have intensified throughout the Occupied West Bank as Israel persists in its offensive on the Gaza Strip, where it has killed more than 42,700 Palestinians, mostly women and children.

The Israeli army has expanded its operations in the West Bank, while settler attacks have intensified, leading to the deaths of at least 742 Palestinians, injuring more than 6,200 and detaining over 11,100 others in the Occupied Territory, according to Palestinian figures.

All of Israel’s settlements and the settlers who live on them are illegal under international law. On 19 July, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) reiterated in an advisory opinion that the Israeli Occupation of Palestinian Territories is unlawful. While “advisory”, the laws upon which the ICJ opinion is based are binding on all UN member states. Last month, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution instructing Israel to end its Occupation within 12 months.

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