Israeli occupation forces assault journalists, cause fire north of Jerusalem

Israeli occupation forces assaulted a number of journalists on Monday in the town of al-Judeira, northwest of Jerusalem, while the sound and tear gas they fired caused a fire in the neighboring town of Rafat.

The Jerusalem Governorate reported, citing the Palestinian News Agency (WAFA), that occupation soldiers fired sound bombs directly at journalists while they were covering events near the town of al-Judeira, causing injuries and panic in the area. A large fire also broke out in agricultural land in the town of Rafat as a result of the bombs fired by the soldiers.

In a related development, Israeli settlers continued their attacks against Palestinian civilians in areas south of Hebron. Under the protection of occupation forces, settlers released their livestock to graze on lands planted with seedlings and fruit trees in the villages of Aqwawis and Sha'b al-Batm in Masafer Yatta.

Anti-settlement activist Osama Makhamreh told WAFA that settlers deliberately destroyed crops with the aim of seizing citizens' lands for the expansion of settlements. He noted that a bulldozer belonging to them carried out bulldozing operations in the village of Umm al-Khair in the Masafer Yatta area.