Israeli settlers attack Palestinians during olive harvest, and other Middle East developments
Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians in towns across the occupied West Bank during the olive harvest on Friday and set fire to cars and trees.
Meanwhile, Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen attacked near a palace used by the country's internationally recognized government, killing five people and injuring others.
Here is the latest news from the Middle East on Friday. Read our full coverage here.
Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians in multiple villages across the occupied West Bank on Friday and set trees and cars on fire, according to local officials and emergency responders with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said six people were injured in two attacks it responded to in the town of Abu Falah outside Ramallah. A 63-year-old woman and a 40-year-old man were taken to a hospital after being beaten by settlers, the Red Crescent said.
Israel has imposed new rules on the olive harvest this year, prohibiting Palestinians from working in what’s known as Area C, which is under Israeli security control and encompasses the majority of the territory’s agricultural land.
At least four Palestinians have been killed and more than 100 injured since the harvest season began earlier this month, according to Palestinian officials. They say thousands of trees have been damaged, costing farmers hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Israel’s police and army did not immediately respond to questions about the attacks.
Attacks near a palace used by Yemen’s internationally recognized government killed at least five people and wounded more than a dozen, said government officials.
In a Facebook post late Thursday, Health Minister Qasem Buhaibeh said security guards and other employees at Maashiq palace in Yemen’s southern port city of Aden were among the casualties.
Aden has been the seat of Yemen’s government since 2015. The Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for the attacks, saying they targeted a military operations headquarters associated with Saudi forces that are backing the government.
Two of the missiles launched by the Houthis on Thursday struck near the headquarters of the Saudi-backed coalition forces in Aden, causing damage, a Yemeni government official said.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said Friday that the missiles landed near the compound used by the coalition in Buraiqah, west of the palace. There were no senior officials at the post at the time of the attack, he said.
— By Sarah El Deeb
The Yemeni government's security department in Aden confirmed Friday the arrest of reporter Murad Mohammed Saeed, among other people. The department's statement did not say how many people had been detained or the charges against them.
Saeed has worked for several newspapers and news websites, including Aden Al-Ghad newspaper, according to his Facebook page. There were several posts on his account, including footage of strikes in Aden.
The security department linked the arrests to previous warnings against circulating footage that could reveal sensitive details or affect security operations.
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This report will be updated throughout the day as new developments emerge.
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