In recent hours, settler attacks against Palestinian civilians across the West Bank have sharply escalated, involving the burning of homes and vehicles and assaults on residents in multiple villages and governorates. These developments mark a serious escalation that constitutes a clear violation of international law and human rights.
In Jenin governorate, settlers set fire to homes and vehicles in the village of Al-Funduqomiya south of the city. In Silat Al-Dhahr, also south of Jenin, settlers attempted to burn several houses. A resident was injured while trying to defend his property, along with others who sustained injuries.
In Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron, two Palestinians were injured and three others were arrested—Ahmad Yasser Hamamda, Mohammad Adel Hamamda, and his brother, the child Yousef—during a premeditated settler attack carried out under the protection of Israeli occupation forces. The forces also raided the home of Adel Al-Hamamda, vandalised its contents, and assaulted family members, resulting in injuries and bruises to Walaa Ahmad Atiyat.
The violations were not limited to specific areas. In Ein Al-Hilweh in the northern Jordan Valley, settlers sprayed residents with pepper gas. Civilian vehicles were also attacked with stones on major roads connecting governorates, including near Rawabi Square north of Ramallah, the junction leading to Mikhmas north of occupied Jerusalem, near the village of Haris west of Salfit, the town of Tuqu’ southeast of Bethlehem, and south of Nablus near Za’tara checkpoint and the bypass road near Burin, where some roads were blocked due to settler gatherings.
In one of the most serious incidents, settlers stormed the outskirts of Burin village south of Nablus and carried out provocative tours among residents’ homes, in a pattern consistent with systematic settlement policies.
These attacks constitute a clear violation of international humanitarian law, which prohibits attacks on civilians and their property during armed conflict. They also breach international human rights conventions that guarantee protection from violence and assault, including the protection of children and unarmed civilians.
Arrests, assaults, and home invasions form part of a broader pattern of violations committed against Palestinians and may amount to crimes against humanity when linked to systematic policies targeting civilians. In addition, ongoing harassment, road closures, and destruction of property reflect attempts to assert control over land through intimidation and unlawful settlement expansion, in violation of international law and relevant United Nations resolutions.
Settlers continue to carry out these attacks with the backing and protection of occupation forces, exacerbating the suffering of Palestinian civilians and deepening violations against unarmed populations. These developments underscore the urgent need for international intervention to pressure the occupying power to halt these violations and ensure the protection of Palestinian civilians.
