Israeli Settlers Expel Palestinian Family from Their Home Again.. Netanyahu Comments

- A Palestinian family has finally managed to return to their home at night, after being forced to leave by Israeli settlers for two months, only to find themselves subjected to a new attack. More than 100 Israeli settlers participated in the attack that took place on Tuesday against the "Tobasi" family, with some of them breaking into the house and setting it on fire.

This incident is the latest in a series of violent acts committed by settlers against Palestinians - and sometimes against Israeli forces as well - in the West Bank, a phenomenon that occurs almost daily and has drawn increasing international condemnation. This issue has also become a focal point in the upcoming Israeli general elections; Gadi Eisenkot, the main competitor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, blamed a "dangerous government policy" for these acts.

The home of Mahmoud Tobasi, located in the village of Jaloud in northern West Bank, had been besieged by settlers earlier in the summer. Tobasi stated to Afaq News that he and his family were ultimately forced to leave the house in late July, after a siege that lasted more than a month.

After numerous attempts to reclaim his home through legal channels, Tobasi was informed by the body responsible for coordinating between Israeli authorities and Palestinian security officials that he could finally return. Early on Tuesday morning, under the protection of Israeli police and army, the family returned to find themselves passing by the settlers who had previously taken over the house, who were camping in a tent outside; while the house itself was in a state of chaos and destruction.

A video captured by Tobasi's son - and shared with Afaq News - shows debris scattered on the ground, broken doors and appliances, and large holes in the walls. Shortly thereafter, more than 100 settlers stormed the house and attacked family members and police officers, forcing them to leave.

The settlers then set fire to the building and the family's car. Local residents documented the scene with their phones from the bottom of the hill, where the house could be seen as flames engulfed it and columns of smoke rose from it.

Footage taken later at dawn showed the house completely consumed by the fire, appearing charred inside and out. In a statement, the Israeli army mentioned that soldiers and police forces worked to "disperse Israeli rioters and protect the residents of the area."

The statement added that two suspects were arrested after "more than 100 Israelis... blocked roads, set tires on fire, and threw stones at security forces."

The statement noted that three border police officers were lightly injured, and damage was caused to a security forces vehicle due to the attack, adding: "The security establishment strongly condemns any harm to security personnel while performing their duties, as well as acts of vandalism and damage to property." However, Netanyahu continued to downplay the daily attacks by settlers, describing them as the actions of "a handful of rioters."

He condemned the "violent riots" that occurred overnight but did not mention the attacks targeting Palestinians, only referring to those that targeted security forces. He said: "This handful of rioters does not represent the law-abiding settler community in Judea and Samaria," using the biblical term for the West Bank.

However, his main competitor in next month's elections, Gadi Eisenkot, pointed out - without mentioning Netanyahu by name - the party he believes is responsible. He said: "This is the form of chaos and loss of control that has reached unprecedented levels under the current government.

This reality, in which everyone does what they see as right in their eyes, is not a mere malfunction or mistake, but a direct result of a dangerous policy." Local residents say that the settlers who carried out the attack in the village of Jalud at night are the same group that besieged the home of a Palestinian-American citizen in the neighboring village of Qusra last month; these settlers established an illegal outpost in the area and launched near-daily attacks on Palestinians.

The Israeli government has automatically and without real scrutiny given official status to dozens of illegal Israeli settlement outposts over the past three years. The organization "Peace Now" - an Israeli organization that monitors settlement activities - criticized what it described as the "double standards" of the Israeli government.

The organization stated: "They are not just a minority, nor a handful of individuals, nor harmful weeds; they are a large and organized Jewish terrorist militia, supported and funded by your government, operating from the outposts and farms that you have legitimized and allowed to exist."