Palestinians have urged the international community to take concrete steps to stop increasing Israeli settler attacks in the occupied West Bank.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry on Sunday appealed for “deterrent international measures” to end the ongoing violence by illegal Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank. In a statement, the ministry called on the international community to implement existing UN resolutions and protect Palestinian civilians from what it described as “settler gangs and their terrorist elements.”
Israeli government data shows that 414 settler attacks were recorded in the first half of 2025— a 30% increase from the same period last year, when 318 attacks took place. The attacks are not only increasing in frequency but also in severity, with armed assaults and vandalism becoming more brazen and violent.
Since the start of Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza in October 2023, at least 986 Palestinians have been killed and more than 7,000 injured in the occupied West Bank by Israeli forces and settlers, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
In a rare development, Israeli settlers recently turned their violence on the occupying Israeli army itself. Six settlers were detained after attacking soldiers near the Palestinian village of Kafr Malik, northeast of Ramallah. The group, which had previously seized Palestinian land and was involved in prior attacks, reportedly hurled stones at troops, rammed military vehicles, and set one on fire, resulting in injury of one soldier.
The occupying Israeli military said its forces fired warning shots into the air but denied using live rounds directly against civilians. The settlers were arrested and handed over to the police. The IDF later issued a statement condemning the attacks, saying it would “act firmly against any attempt to harm security personnel.”
The incident has sparked widespread controversy within Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defence Minister Yisrael Katz, and opposition leader Yair Lapid condemned the settlers’ actions, calling for accountability. Netanyahu said such violence comes from “a small minority” and does not represent most settlers.
Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated on the latest news and updates from around the Muslim world!
However, far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich took a different line, accusing the army of “crossing a red line” by opening fire on Jews. “The IDF and the settlers are the same,” he said, warning that the use of live fire was “unacceptable and dangerous”.
Yair Golan, head of the Democrats party, said the attacks were part of a deeper pattern of extremist settler violence supported by “Kahanist, nationalist” ideologies that now influence Israel’s ruling coalition. Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir—both of whom have links to the banned extremist party founded by Meir Kahane—serve in senior government roles and have been sanctioned by the UK and Canada for inciting violence.
Palestinian officials say the settler violence is part of a broader strategy by Israel’s right-wing regime to escalate conflict in the occupied West Bank and push for further territorial expansion. Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman for the Palestinian presidency, warned that the West Bank is being dragged into a “bloody confrontation.”
Tensions have continued to escalate across the territory. Earlier this week, occupying Israeli forces killed a Palestinian teenager, claiming he had thrown explosive devices at them. In late May, Israel approved the largest West Bank settlement expansion in decades with 22 new outposts planned, including in areas from which Israel had previously withdrawn.
Under international law, all Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights are considered illegal. The International Court of Justice reaffirmed this last year, calling for Israel to evacuate all settlements from Palestinian land.
