Injuries were reported as Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria rioted in Arab towns on Tuesday night seeking revenge for the murders of four Israelis near Eli earlier in the day.
The Palestinian Red Crescent said that 36 injuries were reported in Huwara, outside Nablus (Shechem). The vigilantes also attacked the villages of Al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya, Qabalan and Beitin, all located slightly farther south of Nablus, and at several junctions.
Nine homes, a gas station, several businesses, 11 cars and agricultural land (burned) were all reported damaged.
“Dozens of Israelis gathered at the entrance to Beit Furik [5 miles southeast of Nablus] trying to enter the village. The IDF force that arrived at the scene dispersed the gathering, using means to disperse demonstrations and firing into the air. The incident will be investigated,” an army spokesman said.
The rioting came after four Israelis were killed and four others were wounded in a shooting attack near the town of Eli in the Binyamin region of Samaria. The two Hamas members who carried out the attack were killed.
Hundreds of Israeli residents of Judea and Samaria also headed to the Evyatar outpost overnight in response to the shooting, urging the government to approve a permanent community there.
Community leaders at Evyatar for the protest included Religious Zionism Knesset member Zvi Sukkot, Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan and Samaria Chief Rabbi Elyakim Levanon.
“We’ve returned home to Evyatar,” said Sukkot, one of Evyatar’s founders. “Terrorists should know that any attack will only deepen the Jewish hold on the territory. Two years after being evacuated, the time has come for us to return forever.”
