Huwara rampage

Not to be confused with 2023 Huwara shooting.
Huwara rampage
Part of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict
A car set on fire by settlers
LocationHuwara
Date26 February 2023 (2023-02-26) (UTC+02:00)
TargetLocal Palestinian residents
Attack type
Rioting, street violence, vandalism, arson
Deaths1
Injured100+
PerpetratorIsraeli settlers

On 26 February 2023, hundreds of Israeli settlers went on a violent late-night rampage in Huwara and other Palestinian villages in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, leaving one civilian dead and 100 other Palestinians injured, four critically, and the town ablaze.[1][2] It was the worst attack stemming from Israeli settler violence in the northern West Bank in decades.[3][4][5] The rampage followed the deadly attack in which two Israelis were murdered the same day by an unidentified attacker in the area.[6][1]

Israeli soldiers were in the area while the rampage by the settlers unfolded and did not intervene.[2] The rampage was called a pogrom by an Israeli commander in charge of the area.[7] The same day, Israeli and Palestinian officials issued a joint declaration in Aqaba, Jordan to counter the recent round of Israeli–Palestinian violence.[3][4][8]

In the rampage's aftermath, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a settler leader in charge of the administration of the West Bank,[9] called for Huwara to be "wiped out" by the Israeli army.[10][11] Condemnations from the United States, European Union, and Arab countries led to Smotrich retracting his comments and claiming they were said in the heat of the moment.[7][12]

  1. ^ a b Kingsley, Patrick; Kershner, Isabel (27 February 2023). "Revenge Attacks After Killing of Israeli Settlers Leave West Bank in Turmoil". The New York Times. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
  2. ^ a b Breiner, Josh (28 February 2023). "The Chaos in Hawara Didn't End on the Night of the Riots, nor Did the Israeli Army's Incompetence". Haaretz. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  3. ^ a b McKernan, Bethan (27 February 2023). "Israeli settlers rampage after Palestinian gunman kills two". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
  4. ^ a b Mohammed, Majdi; Ben Zion, Ilan (27 February 2023). "Israel beefs up troops after unprecedented settler rampage". AP NEWS. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
  5. ^ Bateman, Tom (27 February 2023). "Hawara: 'What happened was horrific and barbaric'". BBC News. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  6. ^ "Settlers rampage in West Bank villages after Israelis killed". 27 February 2023. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  7. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference israeli_campaign_2023_03_02_ap was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ McKernan, Bethan (26 February 2023). "Israeli and Palestinian officials express 'readiness' to work to stop violence". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference emboldened_2023_03_02_washpost was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference justifies was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference us_prods_2023_03_02_timesofisrael was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference dc_visit_2023_03_03_timesofisrael was invoked but never defined (see the help page).