Israeli forces raze West Bank homes as EU weighs ban on settlement goods

Israeli forces have demolished more Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank, as settlers attacked residents of the village of Burqa in an escalation of violence ahead of Israeli elections in October.

The pogroms on Monday came as Ireland pushes for sanctions on goods from illegal Israeli settlements at an informal meeting of European Union ministers this week.

In the town of Birzet, north of Ramallah, Israeli soldiers demolished two residential buildings, saying they lacked the required building permits, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.

In Nablus, Israeli forces used a bulldozer to raze a two-storey house and a three-storey building under construction.

And in Burqa, east of Ramallah, video verified by Al Jazeera showed a large group of settlers raiding the village and attacking Palestinians. One clip showed settlers and Palestinians throwing stones at each other.

Witnesses said the settlers entered the village from several directions on Monday night before assaulting residents, trying to set cars alight and stealing livestock.

The United Nations human rights office said last month that settler violence was at an “all-time high”, with new settlements approved and settlers and the Israeli army often acting together against Palestinian communities.

Settler violence and settlement expansion are on the agenda of a two-day meeting of EU foreign ministers in Ireland beginning on Tuesday.