By Richard Thompson

Israeli settlers attack Palestinian villages, set vehicles on fire and injure several residents in the West Bank.

Israeli settlers have set vehicles and properties on fire under the protection of Israeli forces while also injuring at least 21 Palestinians across the occupied West Bank.

Jalal Bashir, head of Jinasfut village council, was quoted as saying by Wafa news agency on Monday evening that the attacks took place in the villages of Jinasfut and Funduq, east of Qalqilya.

He added that dozens of Israeli settlers raided Jinasfut and set fire to three homes, a nursery and a workshop. The settlers also set several vehicles owned by Palestinian residents ablaze.

One Palestinian sustained a head injury while trying to protect his home. Several others were undergoing treatment after inhaling tear gas fired by Israeli soldiers.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said its medical teams treated those injured by the settlers in Jinsafut and Fanduq, adding that the victims suffered bruises as they were beaten by the settlers.

In the southern West Bank, Israeli settlers also stormed a Palestinian home in the Masafer Yatta area. Dozens of settlers attacked Palestinian vehicles with stones south of Hebron, damaging several of them.

Yesh Din, which monitors human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory, shared video clips showing Palestinian-owned vehicles and a building in flames from earlier settler attacks.

According to the group, settlers set two Palestinian homes on fire and torched at least four vehicles in Sinjil village, located northeast of Ramallah. In Ein Siniya village, settlers attacked and set fire to homes, north of Ramallah. It added that settlers attacked and damaged Palestinian-owned property in Turmus Aya, northeast of Ramallah, and also threw stones at vehicles on Route 60, near al-Lubban Asharqiya, south of Nablus.

The attacks by Israeli settlers come as US President Donald Trump signed an order on Monday to reverse US sanctions on them in the occupied West Bank. The Biden administration described them as part of the “extremist settlement movement”.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Palestine also expressed alarm at the “wave of renewed violence” by Israeli settlers and armed forces in the occupied West Bank.

“The UN Human Rights Office is alarmed by a wave of renewed violence perpetrated by settlers and Israeli security forces in the Occupied West Bank, coinciding with the implementation of the Gaza ceasefire agreement,” it said in a statement.

The OHCHR also said the violence was accompanied by reinforced restrictions on Palestinians’ freedom of movement, including the closure of checkpoints and installation of new gates, resulting in entire communities being locked in.

Highlighting multiple recent settler attacks on Palestinian villages as well as Monday’s raid in several West Bank towns by Israeli forces, which killed a Palestinian teenager, the OHCHR also said it was concerned about Israel’s plans to expand and increase operations in the Palestinian territory.

By Richard Thompson

On January 21, a pivotal moment in historical reckoning unfolded as a commission of historians delivered a comprehensive report to French President Emmanuel Macron, illuminating France’s role in the violent repression of Cameroonian independence movements. This nearly 1,000-page document represents nearly two years of meticulous research and will soon be handed over to Cameroonian President Paul Biya before its public release.

The commission, led by French researcher Karine Ramondy and comprising 13 French and Cameroonian historians, examined the tumultuous period between 1945 and 1971. During these years, tens of thousands of Cameroonians lost their lives to violence perpetrated first by French forces and later in collaboration with the troops of Cameroon’s first president, Ahmadou Ahidjo. France granted the researchers access to previously classified archives, uncovering details that had long remained hidden from public view.

Revisiting a Suppressed History

Despite prior historical documentation of this dark era, the events remain largely unknown and overlooked, both in France and Cameroon. President Macron described this history as “repressed,” reflecting its exclusion from public discourse and education. The new report aims to shed light on these events and foster greater understanding of France’s colonial past and its ongoing implications.

Karine Ramondy emphasized the importance of incorporating this history into school curricula, stating in 2023, “We intend to have it included in school curricula.” This effort seeks to ensure that younger generations confront and learn from this painful chapter in Franco-Cameroonian relations.

Macron’s Commitment to Truth and Memory

The submission of the report marks a step forward in France’s broader commitment to truth and reconciliation regarding its colonial past. The Élysée Palace reaffirmed President Macron’s dedication to this process, emphasizing the need to confront the “respective responsibilities of French and Cameroonian actors” during and after the formal independence of Cameroon in 1960.

While former President François Hollande in 2015 alluded to these events as “extremely troubled episodes,” Macron has gone further by commissioning this detailed investigation. The handover of the report to President Paul Biya in Yaoundé on January 28 will be a symbolic moment, potentially paving the way for deeper acknowledgment and dialogue.

As the report awaits public scrutiny, it holds the promise of a more visible and honest engagement with the past, offering a critical step toward healing and historical justice.