Israeli settlers went on a destructive rampage in several Palestinian villages overnight from Saturday to Sunday, causing damage to cars, setting fires, and injuring multiple individuals in the occupied West Bank. Reports from the official Palestinian news agency WAFA indicated attacks in at least six communities on Sunday. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society confirmed that three Palestinians in Jalud village sustained head injuries from beatings and were hospitalized after confronting the settlers, who also reportedly suffered injuries.
The escalation of violence occurred as Israel’s government continues to establish new settlements in the occupied West Bank. Settler attacks have been on the rise amid a broader surge in violence coinciding with the Iran war. The Israeli military stated it responded to Israeli civilians committing arson and engaging in disturbances in the area but did not disclose any arrests or investigations initiated.
The incidents were reported in Silat al Dahr and Fandaqumiya near Jenin, Jalud and Salfit south of Nablus, and in the agricultural regions of Masafer Yatta and the Jordan Valley. Homes and vehicles were set on fire, Palestinians were subjected to pepper spray, and at least five individuals were wounded during the overnight assaults that occurred during the Eid al-Fitr holiday marking the end of Ramadan.
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 25 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli settlers and soldiers as of March 15 this year. The Palestinian Authority has documented a series of arson attacks, including on mosques, across the territory.
The violent episode occurred a day after an 18-year-old settler died in a collision with a Palestinian vehicle near two of the villages targeted. Authorities are investigating claims by the settlers that the collision was intentional.