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Photos:
Jewish settlers throw rocks toward Palestinians during clashes near the Jewish settlement of Yitzhar in 2022. Credit: AP Published by Haaretz

Mahmood Sif after the attack near the Homest outpost on Sunday. Credit: B’Tselem Published by Haaretz

Sif's friend who was also attacked on Sunday. Credit: B’Tselem Published by Haaretz
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by Hagar Shezaf for Haaretz
Apr 30, 2023 10:38 pm IDT

Israeli police are investigating a suspected assault by settlers against Palestinians near the illegal West Bank outpost of Homesh on Sunday.

51-year-old Mahmood Sif of the Palestinian village of Burka in the northern West Bank told Haaretz that he was attacked by eight masked men. "I went out with a friend to the mountain around noon, we own land in the area. We sat there and picked zaatar, around three kilometers (about 1.8 miles) from Homesh, close to the houses in Burka," Sif said.

"Suddenly a car arrived and eight settlers came out of it and started throwing stones, using pepper spray, and beat us with a bat." According to Sif, the attackers seemed to be around the ages of 18-25. Sif added that he saw the settlers return to Homesh when people from Burka began arriving at the scene of the attack.

Both he and his friend were taken to a hospital in Nablus where they were treated for their injuries. Sif said he was wounded in his back and leg and was released after receiving treatment. His friend, also in his 50s, remains hospitalized with a broken finger and face injuries.

A police official said that when officers arrived at the scene neither Sif, his friend nor the attackers were there, and added that currently no complaints have been filed. Israeli security system said they first received word of the incident at 2 P.M.

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