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A wave of settler violence has swept across the occupied West Bank in recent days, with attacks on Palestinian homes and villages leaving at least six Palestinians dead and many more injured, according to multiple reports. The violence has occurred as Israel's military offensive against Iran has consumed international attention, and as the Israeli government has approved or retroactively authorized dozens of new settlements.

Coverage comparison

Reporting from the ground, the BBC's Middle East correspondent Yolande Knell described an attack on the Palestinian village of Deir al-Hatab, near Nablus, where Israeli settlers shot at a family home, set it alight, and injured at least 10 people — mostly by stones, with one man shot in the foot. The owner, Barhan Omar, told the BBC that the attackers "came in big numbers," and that he and his children escaped only by hiding on their roof. He called the attack "organised terrorism."

In a separate incident, according to The Hindu, Israeli police arrested eight suspects after an overnight attack by Israeli civilians on the village of Qusra, also in the northern West Bank. A 32-year-old Palestinian man was assaulted and sustained a deep head wound, and two poultry farming structures were set on fire, according to the Palestinian official news agency WAFA.

The Jerusalem Post, in an opinion piece, reported broader figures: six Palestinians killed by settlers in the days following Israel's attack on Iran, and five more killed by Israeli soldiers, including an entire family of four. The Post noted that none of the shooters had been arrested, despite most being known to authorities.

Key claims

  • At least six Palestinians have been killed by settlers since the start of Israel's Iran war, according to the United Nations, as reported by the BBC and the Jerusalem Post. The Post also reported five additional killings by Israeli soldiers.
  • In the Deir al-Hatab attack, at least 10 people were injured, with one man shot in the foot, according to the BBC.
  • In Qusra, eight suspects were arrested by Israeli police, who also seized an M-16 rifle, per The Hindu.
  • The Israeli government has approved or retroactively authorized 69 new settlements, as reported by the BBC.
  • The Jerusalem Post asserts that the Israeli military has a policy of non-enforcement when Israelis harm Palestinians, citing data from the human rights organization Yesh Din that between 2016 and 2024, 2,427 complaints were filed regarding offenses by soldiers against Palestinians, with most cases closed without charges.

Perspectives

Palestinian residents and officials describe a pattern of escalating violence, often carried out with military protection. In Qusra, WAFA reported that settlers operated "under the protection of Israeli forces." In Deir al-Hatab, Barhan Omar told the BBC that the attack "wasn't just meant to burn the houses but also to kill — to kill women and children."

Israeli authorities have made some arrests, as in Qusra, but the Jerusalem Post criticizes a "policy of non-enforcement," pointing to the lack of arrests in the fatal shootings. The opinion piece characterizes settler violence as driven by "nationalist, racist, and messianic ideology," and says the military's "primary mission" is to protect settlers, which it argues leads to systemic neglect of Palestinian safety.

Some Israeli voices have also spoken out. The Hindu reported that the recent surge in violence has prompted criticism from influential rabbis and Israel's military chief. The attack in Deir al-Hatab followed the funeral of an 18-year-old Israeli, Yehuda Sherman, who was killed when his vehicle was hit by a Palestinian pickup truck. Settlers believe it was an attack, while Palestinians insist it was an accident, according to the BBC.

The ongoing conflict in the West Bank, occupied by Israel since 1967, has seen a sharp rise in violence since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, as The Hindu noted. The recent settler attacks have drawn international concern, but with attention focused on the Iran conflict, residents like Omar fear further escalation. "There's no safety anymore," he told the BBC.