BETHLEHEM: Israeli forces detained a Palestinian herder on Wednesday in the village of Al-Rashaydeh, east of Bethlehem, days after Jewish settlers attacked him while he was grazing sheep, according to Wafa, the official Palestinian news agency affiliated with the PLO.
Bakr Rashaydeh, head of the village council, told Wafa that Israeli forces detained Khalil Rashaydeh, 45, after raiding and searching his home.
Wafa reported that settlers assaulted and injured Rashaydeh and several other Palestinian herders on Sunday, June 28.
Settler attacks on Palestinians have risen sharply in 2026, with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reporting an average of six attacks a day.
Rights groups and UN reports say pressure from Israeli forces and settlers has pushed Palestinian herding communities to leave their areas.
