JERUSALEM: The radical Israeli settler group Hilltop Youth has published a tally of attacks it says it carried out against Palestinians over the past month in the occupied West Bank, describing the violence as its “struggle against the Arab enemy.”
The movement, known for hard-line activism and involvement in efforts to drive Palestinians from parts of the territory, posted the list on its Telegram channel on Wednesday, detailing incidents it claimed responsibility for.
The tally, titled “Monthly summary of the struggle against the Arab enemy in the Holy Land,” lists 29 vehicles set ablaze, 12 homes torched, “40 Arabs injured,” and hundreds of windows smashed and olive trees cut down across 33 towns and villages.
Five of them are in Mikhmas, a village near Ramallah. A nearby Bedouin community left the area this month, citing sustained harassment.
On Wednesday, the Ramallah-based Palestinian health ministry said a 19-year-old had died of wounds sustained after being shot by settlers in Mikhmas.
The Hilltop Youth’s figures reflect a surge in settler violence across the West Bank.
The UN said nearly 700 Palestinians were displaced by settler violence and intimidation in January alone — the highest monthly figure since the Gaza war began in October 2023.
Hilltop Youth is a loose network of hard-line settlers, often made up of small groups of teenagers sometimes overseen by an adult, who establish unauthorized outposts atop West Bank hills.
They are widely accused of using intimidation and violence to push Palestinians out from areas surrounding the outposts.
While most Israeli settlers do not engage in violence, a small but militant fringe has been linked to attacks on Palestinians.
On Tuesday, a group of influential rabbis from settlements in the northern West Bank issued a public letter celebrating settlement expansion while insisting violence was forbidden.
Excluding Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, more than 500,000 Israelis live in West Bank settlements and outposts, which are illegal under international law.
Around three million Palestinians live in the territory, which Israel has occupied since 1967.
The current Israeli government, considered one of the most right wing in the country’s history, has fast-tracked settlement expansion and recognized some outposts.
It approved a record 54 settlements in 2025, according to Israeli NGO Peace Now.
Radical Israeli settlers post list of their attacks on West Bank Palestinians
https://arab.news/5ucpm
Radical Israeli settlers post list of their attacks on West Bank Palestinians
- Hilltop Youth’s figures reflect a surge in settler violence across the West Bank
- They are widely accused of using intimidation and violence to push Palestinians out from areas surrounding the outposts
Washington presses Syria to shift from Chinese telecom systems
- Syria is exploring the possibility of procuring Chinese technology
- It was unclear whether the United States pledged financial or logistical support to Syria to do so
DAMASCUS: The United States has warned Syria against relying on Chinese technology in its telecommunications sector, arguing it conflicts with US interests and threatens US national security, according to three sources familiar with the matter.
The message was conveyed during an unreported meeting between a US State Department team and Syrian Communications Minister Abdulsalam Haykal in San Francisco on Tuesday. Washington has been coordinating closely with Damascus since 2024, when Syria’s now President Ahmed Al-Sharaa ousted longtime leader Bashar Assad, who had a strategic partnership with China.
Syria is exploring the possibility of procuring Chinese technology to support its telecommunications towers and the infrastructure of local Internet service providers, according to a Syrian businessman involved in the procurement talks.
“The US side asked for clarity on the ministry’s plans regarding Chinese telecom equipment,” said another source briefed on the talks.
But Syrian officials said infrastructure development projects were time-critical and that Damascus was seeking greater vendor diversity, the source added.
SYRIAN OFFICIALS CITE US EXPORT CONTROLS AS TELECOMS BARRIER
Syria is open to partnering with US firms but the matter was urgent and export controls and “over-compliance” remained an issue, according to person familiar with the meeting in San Francisco.
A US diplomat familiar with the discussions told Reuters that the US State Department “clearly urged Syrians to use American technology or technology from allied countries in the telecoms sector.”
It was unclear whether the United States pledged financial or logistical support to Syria to do so.
Responding to Reuters questions, a US State Department spokesperson said: “We urge countries to prioritize national security and privacy over lower-priced equipment and services in all critical infrastructure procurement. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.”
The spokesperson added that Chinese intelligence and security services “can legally compel Chinese citizens and companies to share sensitive data or grant unauthorized access to their customers’ systems” and promises by Chinese companies to protect customers’ privacy were “entirely inconsistent with China’s own laws and well-established practices.”
China has repeatedly rejected allegations of it using technology for spying purposes.
The Syrian Ministry of telecommunications told Reuters any decisions related to equipment and infrastructure are made “in accordance with national technical and security standards, ensuring data protection and service continuity.”
The ministry said it is also prioritizing the diversification of partnerships and technology sources to serve the national interest.
Syria’s telecom infrastructure has relied heavily on Chinese technology due to US sanctions imposed on successive Assad governments over the civil war that grew from a crackdown on anti-government protests in 2011.
Huawei technology accounts for more than 50 percent of the infrastructure of Syriatel and MTN, the country’s only telecom operators, according to a senior source at one of the companies and documents reviewed by Reuters. Huawei did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Syria is seeking to develop its private telecommunications sector, devastated by 14 years of war, by attracting foreign investment.
In early February, Saudi Arabia’s largest telecom operator, STC, announced it would invest $800 million to “strengthen telecommunications infrastructure and connect Syria regionally and internationally through a fiber-optic network extending over 4,500 kilometers.”
The ministry of telecommunications says that US restrictions “hinder the availability of many American technologies and services in the Syrian market,” emphasizing that it welcomes expanding cooperation with US companies when these restrictions are lifted.
Syria has inadequate telecommunications infrastructure, with network coverage weak outside city centers and connection speeds in many areas barely exceeding a few kilobits per second.
