Settler Violence Escalates in West Bank and Jerusalem

On Wednesday, groups of Israeli settlers carried out a series of attacks across the West Bank and Jerusalem, targeting homes, olive harvests, trees, and water infrastructure. These incidents occurred concurrently with ongoing military land clearing and road construction.

In the village of Kisan, settlers stole olive fruits and damaged trees on private land. In the Sha'ab al-Luz area, west of Al-Mughayyir, settlers trespassed on private property, vandalized it, and broke olive trees, reportedly under the protection of Israeli forces. In the Bedouin community of Al-Ka'abneh, near Ramallah, a 15-year-old boy, Moataz Mohammed Musa Ka'abneh, was injured during an attack on his family's home. Local sources reported that the attackers beat family members, used pepper spray, and damaged property.

In the Jordan Valley, settlers disguised as Israeli soldiers destroyed a water line in the Atouf plain, southeast of Tubas. This action coincided with the clearing of land and construction of a military road, part of a project called "The Crimson Thread." According to Mutaz Bisharat, an official for the Jordan Valley in Tubas, the targeted water line was in an area classified as "B." He noted that the Atouf and Al-Baqi'a plains have seen continuous land clearing since the beginning of the year for this project, which includes a military road and a 22-kilometer separation fence.

Near Nablus, settlers set fire to homes and vehicles belonging to the Al-Tobaasi family in the village of Jalud. In the Jenin area, settlers were observed stealing olives from the land of Ahmed Zeidat in the village of Faqqu'a, near a newly established outpost. Zeidat stated that his 6-dunam (approximately 1.5 acre) plot is his sole source of income, producing 600-700 kilograms of olives annually. He has been unable to access his land for two months due to Israeli forces declaring it a closed military zone, and he reported being attacked by settlers and detained by Israeli forces previously.

In East Jerusalem, hundreds of settlers, escorted by Israeli police, entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound during the Jewish festival of Sukkot. Data from the Palestine Information Center indicates that settler attacks from January to August reached 4,357, surpassing the total of 3,818 recorded in all of 2025. The Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission documented 2,030 attacks by Israeli forces and settlers in August alone, including 628 by settlers, resulting in injuries and direct damage to 164 individuals. These attacks involved the destruction and uprooting of over 21,500 trees, with more than 19,300 being olive trees.