Israeli settlers flank Palestinian cafe with dozens of Israeli flags - report

Israeli settlers placed dozens of Israeli flags at the entrance of a Palestinian-owned coffee shop in the West Bank village of Luban al-Sharqiya, blocking the business from view for southbound travelers. The owner, Mueiyyid Hussein, called the act blatant intimidation. The shop is located on a main road used by both Palestinians and Israeli settlers. During a Reuters interview, a settler Hussein identified as responsible drove by, filmed the shop, and threatened to return and shut it down. The IDF did not respond to a request for comment. The incident is part of a broader campaign of settler violence and intimidation in the area.

Israeli settlers planted dozens of Israeli flags at the entrance of a Palestinian-owned coffee shop in the West Bank village of Luban al-Sharqiya, obscuring the business from southbound travelers. The owner, Mueiyyid Hussein, described the act as blatant intimidation. The coffee shop sits along a main north-south road used by both Palestinians and the approximately 500,000 Israelis living in the territory. In recent years, settlers have waged a campaign of violence and intimidation against Palestinians, planting flags along roads and near village entrances. While Reuters interviewed Hussein, a settler he identified as responsible for the flags drove by, filming the shop. The settler reportedly threatened to return and shut down the business. The IDF did not respond to a request for comment.