Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank surged again on Monday as groups of armed settlers launched coordinated arson attacks on Palestinian villages near Bethlehem and Hebron, burning homes, vehicles and property in what rights groups describe as an unprecedented wave of attacks.

According to local officials, dozens of settlers stormed the Palestinian village of al-Jaba, roughly 10km (six miles) southwest of Bethlehem, setting three homes, a shack and three vehicles ablaze. Dhyab Masha‘la, head of the village council, said that residents managed to extinguish the fires but the destruction was extensive.

Second Attack Near Hebron Leaves Civilians Injured

Earlier the same day, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported a separate settler attack in the town of Sa’ir, northeast of Hebron. Settlers allegedly burned a home and two cars, and physically assaulted multiple Palestinian civilians, including women. Witnesses said Israeli forces were present and prevented fire engines and ambulances from reaching the victims, worsening the impact of the attack.

A Record Year of Settler Violence

The incidents form part of a much broader trend. Settler violence in the West Bank has reached record levels in 2025, with almost-daily attacks involving arson, shootings, beatings and the destruction of agricultural land and property.

Just last week, settlers torched a mosque in the village of Deir Istiya—one of many religious sites targeted this year.

The Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission reports that settlers and Israeli forces carried out 2,350 attacks in the West Bank in October alone, calling it “an ongoing cycle of terror” happening under the shadow of Israel’s war on Gaza.

Despite the scale of the violence, prosecutions remain exceedingly rare.

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Israeli Government Response: Condemnations Amid Settlement Expansion

In response to the attack on al-Jaba, the Israeli military said it had deployed forces and was “searching for those involved”, acknowledging that dozens of Israeli citizens reportedly torched Palestinian property.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, under mounting international scrutiny over settlement expansion, condemned the attack and called the perpetrators a “small, extremist group”. He said he would convene his cabinet to address what has become a rapidly escalating crisis.

Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a statement calling the attackers “violent and criminal anarchists”, but simultaneously reaffirmed Israel’s commitment to expanding settlements:

“The government will continue to develop and foster the settlement enterprise throughout Judea and Samaria,” Katz said, using the Israeli government’s term for the West Bank.

This dual message—condemnation of violence while encouraging settlement growth—has fueled accusations that Israeli authorities are enabling or indirectly encouraging settler attacks.

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International Law and Global Outcry

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in 2024 that Israel’s occupation of the West Bank is illegal, calling for the dismantling of Israeli settlements. Leading human rights groups, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, classify Israel’s rule over Palestinians as a system of apartheid.

In July, the UN Human Rights Office warned that settler violence was being carried out “with the acquiescence, support, and in some cases participation, of Israeli security forces”.

Even within Israel, alarm is growing. Last week, both Israeli President Isaac Herzog and army chief Eyal Zamir issued unusually strong public condemnations of the escalating settler attacks.