Fatah says Palestinians 'will not stand idle' after Israeli settler rampage

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party has called on Palestinians to stay alert and confront "systematic" attacks by illegal Israeli settlers and extremists after hundreds of them stormed into a Palestinian town in the occupied West Bank, setting fire to dozens of cars and homes and murdering one Palestinian.

"Attempts to terrorise our people by unleashing armed settler militias will be met with resistance and confrontation," said Palestinian National Liberation Movement [or Fatah] in its statement on Wednesday.

"Palestinian people will not stand idle in the face of the attacks and terror of settlers who carry out their attacks with the protection of the occupation army," it said.

Palestine's officials said one man was murdered in the settler violence.

It followed a rare drone strike on a car in the occupied West Bank, believed to be the first in the area in nearly 20 years and marking a major escalation by Israel in a more than year-long campaign against Palestinian fighters in the area.

Palestine's media reported three were killed in the strike.

The settler rampage came as the Israeli military deployed additional forces in the occupied West Bank, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced plans to build 1,000 new settler homes in response to the deadly shooting that left four illegal settlers dead.

Palestinian residents and human rights groups have long complained about Israel's refusal to halt settler violence.

Angry residents demand Palestinian Authority act

Residents in Turmus Ayya said some 400 illegal settlers marched down the town's main road, setting fire to cars, homes and trees.

Mayor Lafi Adeeb said some 30 houses and 60 cars were partly or totally burned.

At least eight Palestinians were wounded during the settler violence while the Israeli army fired rubber bullets and tear gas.

Palestinian medical officials said one man — identified as 27-year-old Omar Qatin — was murdered by Israeli army fire.

Residents said Qatin was a father of two small children and worked as an electrician for the local municipality.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh visited Turmus Ayya to inspect the damage.

Local criticism of the Palestinian Authority has intensified over its weakness in the face of settler attacks.

As he spoke, expressing solidarity with the residents and appealing to the United States to intervene — given the high percentage of American citizens in the town — one resident shouted at him and demanded the authority "do more to protect its people."

Climate of 'fear and panic'

Fatah said that these attacks demonstrate the "escalatory intentions of the occupation government," which it stressed is made up of violent settlers and extremists and warned such attacks will lead to "unpredictable consequences."

Fatah said the attacks on Palestinians come in the context of forced displacement of the Palestinian people "by creating climates of fear and panic" as part of the policy of expanding illegal settlement construction on Palestinian lands.

It said Palestinian people will remain steadfast and committed to their legitimate historical rights "until the establishment of the sovereign independent Palestine state with East Jerusalem as its capital."

So far this year, 174 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli troops. At the same time, 24 Israelis and one foreigner have been killed in clashes in the occupied West Bank, around Jerusalem and in some other cities.

The international community opposes illegal settlements on occupied lands of Palestine.

Netanyahu's most far-right government ever is dominated by illegal settler leaders and their loyalists.

Israel captured the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

It withdrew troops from Gaza in 2005 and has since imposed a harsh blockade from land, air and sea on the tiny Palestinian enclave, disabling the entire population from leaving or entering Gaza and choking the import and export of goods.

Over 700,000 illegal Israeli settlers now live in the occupied West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem.