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Photo:
Illustrative scene: Armed settlers overlook a Palestinian village south of Nablus during confrontations following the setting on fire of Palestinian-owned fields on Jan. 1, 2010. (Jaafar Ashtiyeh/AFP, File) Published by Maan News
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BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) -- An Israeli settler reportedly harassed Palestinian farmers in the northern Jordan Valley on Sunday, preventing them from grazing their livestock, according to official Palestinian Authority (PA)-owned Wafa news agency.

Wafa reported that an Israeli settler from the illegal Rutum settlement chased down Palestinian shepherds out of pastures in the northern Jordan Valley in order to prevent them from feeding their livestock.

Wafa added that shepherds living in the area are subject to near-daily attacks by Israeli settlers residing in nearby illegal settlements.

Between 500,000 and 600,000 Israelis live in Jewish-only settlements across occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank in violation of international law.

In March 2017, Israeli NGO Yesh Din revealed that Israeli authorities served indictments in only 8.2 percent of cases of Israeli settlers committing anti-Palestinian crimes in the occupied West Bank in the past three years.

Many Palestinian activists and rights groups have meanwhile accused Israel of fostering a “culture of impunity” for Israeli settlers and soldiers committing violent acts against Palestinians.