RAMALLAH, Israeli settlers today evening gathered and blocked amid heavy Israeli army protection the entrance to the town of Sijnil to the north of Ramallah, according to local sources.

Dozens of settlers reportedly gathered near the main road adjacent to the town of Sinjil amid heavy Israeli military presence, and blocked the northern entrance, amid rising tension in the area.

Israeli settlers’ vandalism in the occupied West Bank is routine and is done with full backing by the Israeli authorities, said the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem.

“Settler violence and vandalism take place with full backing by the Israeli authorities. Sometimes soldiers take part in the assault; at other times, they stand idly by. The police make no substantial effort to investigate the incidents, nor takes measures to prevent them or stop them in real-time,” it said.

Israel benefits from the repercussions, as settler violence has gradually dispossessed Palestinians of more and more areas in the West Bank, paving the way for a state takeover of land and resources, said B’Tselem.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency