Palestinian seriously hurt after settlers hurl stones at car

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — Officials say a Palestinian man was critically wounded after Israeli settlers pelted his car with stones as he drove through the occupied West Bank, causing him to veer off the road and crash. A Palestinian Authority official said Wednesday the man lost control of his vehicle when rocks hurled by settlers smashed through his windshield near a West Bank village. The autumn has seen a sharp uptick in settler violence. Israeli officials have spoken out against the violence, especially after dozens of settlers attacked a Palestinian village in September, wounding a toddler. But the Palestinians and rights groups say Israeli troops rarely intervene and often side with the settlers.