Israeli settlers attack farmers in West Bank pogrom, soldiers hit reporters

Israeli forces detain and assault journalists in Jabal Qamass area in Beita, south of Nablus.Israeli settlers under the Israeli army’s protection have attacked olive pickers, burned olive trees and detained dozens of people in the occupied West Bank.Saturday’s pogroms took place at olive groves in the village of Abu Dis, the town of Awarta and the az-Zahra area in the town of Beita, among other places, according to our colleagues on the ground.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Palestine weekly: Israeli politicians vie to look toughest before electionlist 2 of 4Israeli drone kills Palestinian in Gaza, settlers kill another in West Banklist 3 of 4Israeli barrier cuts off water to West Bank Palestinians before electionslist 4 of 4Gaza voters want jobs and security as Palestinian elections approachend of list“When we arrived this morning, a group of about 50 masked settlers approached. They were throwing stones and attacked a house,” an activist from California volunteering with Palestinian communities to harvest olives who asked to remain anonymous told Al Jazeera.“Shortly afterwards, they [the settlers] were followed by soldiers who came and rounded up all the Palestinians and activists who were olive harvesting and told the activists they had to leave. They sat them on the ground at gunpoint and forced us to leave,” the activist added.Journalists assaultedMeanwhile, Israeli forces detained journalists and assaulted them in the Jabal Qamass area in Beita, south of Nablus, our colleagues reported.Al Jazeera footage captured settlers smashing a Palestinian vehicle in Osarin while other videos showed the moment armed settlers attacked a Palestinian home in Beita.In the village of Osarin in Nablus, they fired tear gas at Palestinians and journalists and attacked homes, stoned vehicles and assaulted several villagers, the Palestinian news agency Wafa said.Palestinian media reported a number of residents have tried to repel the settler attacks, which are part of a wider pogrom against Palestinians across the West Bank that has intensified since February.