Israeli president calls on settlers to refrain from carrying out revenge attacks

By Cagri Kosak

ISTANBUL (AA) - Israeli President Isaac Herzog urged Jewish settlers Sunday to stop carrying out revenge attacks on Palestinians after a Palestinian gunman killed two Israeli brothers in their car in the occupied West Bank town of Hawara.

A few hours after the shooting, a large group of settlers entered the town and began setting homes, businesses and vehicles on fire with Molotov cocktails.

In a tweet on his official account, Herzog responded, saying "riots and violence against innocent people are not our way, and I strongly condemn it."

"We must allow the Israeli Defense Forces, the police and the security forces to capture the despicable terrorist and restore order immediately," he added.

Earlier on Sunday, the Palestinian Red Crescent reported that 37-year-old Sameh Aqtash was wounded in the stomach by a live bullet and died as a result of the attack by Jewish settlers in the village of Za’tara south of the city of Nablus.

It was noted that Aqtash, a resident of the town of Beita, voluntarily participated in search and rescue efforts in Türkiye after the Feb. 6 twin earthquakes that killed at least 44,374 people.

The Palestinian News and Information Agency (WAFA) announced that in addition to the killing of Aqtash, more than 392 Palestinians were wounded by live and rubber-coated bullets, physically attacked and affected by tear gas.

*Writing by Emre Basaran