West Bank – November 13, 2025 – Israeli President Isaac Herzog and army chief Eyal Zamir publicly condemned a surge of Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, marking a rare rebuke of what has become a daily cycle of violence often carried out with military backing.

Herzog described the attacks as “shocking and serious”, emphasizing that violence by a small minority of settlers “crosses a red line”. He urged all state authorities to take decisive action to stop the attacks, which include killings, beatings, arson, and property destruction.

“All state authorities must act decisively to eradicate the phenomenon,” Herzog wrote on social media.

Zamir also strongly condemned the recent increase in attacks, stating that the Israeli military “will not tolerate criminal behavior by a small minority that tarnishes the law-abiding public.”

Recent Settler Violence

On Thursday, Israeli settlers vandalized a mosque near Salfit in the West Bank, pouring flammable material at its entrance and scrawling racial slurs on its walls. Residents managed to extinguish the fire before it could spread.

Earlier incidents on Tuesday involved masked settlers attacking the villages of Beit Lid and Deir Sharaf, setting fire to four dairy trucks, farmland, tin shacks, and tents belonging to Bedouin families. Settlers even attacked Israeli soldiers during the confrontations, damaging a military vehicle—a rare occurrence highlighting the escalating boldness of these groups.

Palestinian and International Reactions

Palestinian official Muayyad Shaaban said the attacks are part of a broader campaign to drive Palestinians from their land, accusing Israel of providing settlers with protection and immunity. The Palestinian Authority’s Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission (CRRC) reported 2,350 attacks across the West Bank last month, including home demolitions, uprooted olive trees, and physical assaults, with most incidents concentrated in Ramallah, Nablus, and Hebron.

The United States, represented by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, expressed concern that settler violence could undermine the US-brokered Gaza ceasefire, pledging to monitor the situation and prevent escalation.

Context of Settler Violence

Israeli settlements are Jewish-only communities built on land Israel occupied in 1967 and are considered illegal under international law. Currently, 600,000 to 750,000 settlers reside in over 250 settlements and outposts across the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem. Settlers are frequently armed and often accompanied or protected by Israeli soldiers.

The attacks often intensify during the olive harvest from September to November, a critical time for Palestinian farmers whose livelihoods depend on olive production. Human rights groups like B’Tselem report that settlers engage in daily violence, including shooting, beating, stealing produce, torching fields, destroying homes, blocking roads, and setting vehicles on fire.

Herzog’s condemnation, coupled with Zamir’s warning, represents a rare public stance against settler violence by senior Israeli officials, underscoring growing concerns over the cycle of terror in the West Bank and the impact on Palestinian communities.