Illegal settlers attack 13 West Bank locations, dozens injured

2026-03-23 - 13:00

Illegal Israeli settlers launched coordinated assaults across 13 Palestinian communities in the occupied West Bank over the weekend, wounding dozens and inflicting extensive property damage, according to Palestinian officials and eyewitnesses. The attacks, which began late Saturday and continued into Monday, targeted villages and towns across multiple governorates, with settlers setting fire to homes and vehicles and throwing stones at Palestinian cars. Severe attack in al-Funduq The most intense violence occurred in al-Funduq near Jenin, where settlers burned homes and vehicles and smashed windows, Wafa news agency reported. Residents attempted to confront the attackers and extinguish fires. In the northern Jordan Valley, settlers attacked the Ein al-Hilweh community and sprayed residents with pepper spray. Settlers also threw stones at vehicles on multiple roads, including the Ramallah-Nablus route, near the Za’atara checkpoint, and in Tuqu near Bethlehem. Heavy casualties near Nablus In the village of Jalud southeast of Nablus, three Palestinians were wounded after settlers attacked, setting fire to four vehicles and the village council building, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent. One victim suffered a deep head wound from a beating. In Deir al-Hatab near Nablus, 10 people were wounded—one by live fire, six from beatings, one from smoke inhalation and another from a stone injury—after settlers set homes and vehicles ablaze. In nearby Deir Sharaf, a bulldozer, a truck and parked cars were torched. School vandalism and broader context Early Monday, settlers raided a secondary school in Hawara south of Nablus, removing the Palestinian flag, raising the Israeli flag and spray-painting racist slogans in Hebrew on walls. The Palestinian Ministry of Education condemned the violation of educational institutions. In February alone, illegal settlers carried out 511 attacks across the West Bank, killing seven Palestinians by gunfire. Since Oct. 8, 2023, Israeli forces and settlers have killed 1,133 Palestinians, injured 11,700 and arrested 22,000. In July 2024, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation illegal and called for evacuation of all settlements. Türkiye has repeatedly condemned settler violence and reiterated its support for Palestinian rights.