Netanyahu Convenes Security Cabinet as Settler Violence Surges in the West Bank

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a closed-door meeting of his security cabinet Thursday night to address a sharp rise in violence by Israeli settlers across the West Bank. The session brought together military leaders, Shin Bet officials and senior police commanders to assess recent attacks, property damage and the broader security and political implications.

Officials said a follow-up meeting was expected. The Prime Minister’s Office did not immediately provide details about the discussions.

International concern and political pressure

U.S. officials and other international partners have urged Israel to rein in settler violence to avoid undermining a U.N. Security Council–endorsed U.S. plan for Gaza that envisages an international security force and a possible path toward Palestinian statehood. Rising unrest in the West Bank risks complicating those diplomatic efforts.

Scale of the violence

Humanitarian monitors report that October saw the highest monthly number of settler attacks since tracking began in 2006, with more than 260 incidents resulting in injuries or property damage. That follows roughly 2,660 recorded settler attacks through the end of September this year, underscoring a pattern of near-daily incidents across wide areas of the territory.

Domestic politics and contested land moves

Netanyahu has described the perpetrators as “a handful of extremists” and called on law enforcement to prosecute those who "take the law into their own hands." Rights groups and Palestinian officials, however, say the problem is broader and more systemic. The governing coalition includes influential far-right figures tied to the settler movement, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who shapes settlement policy, and Cabinet Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who has oversight of policing.

The security meeting followed an announcement by the Civil Administration that it plans to expropriate large portions of Sebastia, an important archaeological site in the West Bank. Peace Now described the area as roughly 1,800 dunams (about 450 acres), calling it one of the largest seizures of archaeologically significant land. At the same time, settlers celebrated the establishment of a new unauthorized outpost near Bethlehem, further heightening tensions.

Global response: targeted sanctions

In a separate development, Singapore announced targeted financial sanctions and entry bans on four Israeli individuals it says were involved in extremist violence against Palestinians in the West Bank: Meir Ettinger, Elisha Yered, Ben-Zion Gopstein and Baruch Marzel. The move echoed sanctions by the European Union and the U.K. in some cases, and Singapore’s foreign ministry described the actions as undermining prospects for a two-state solution.

Brief backgrounds cited by authorities and monitors: Ettinger is the grandson of Meir Kahane, a militant ultranationalist whose political movement was outlawed in Israel; Marzel was once an aide to Kahane; Yered is associated with the so-called Hilltop Youth, accused of illegal outposts and attacks; and Gopstein founded Lehava, a group whose members have been linked to assaults on Palestinian civilians.

The surge in settler violence and the government’s land decisions have intensified fears that lawlessness and expanding settlements could further erode prospects for peace and complicate international diplomatic initiatives.

Ahead of any additional cabinet sessions, attention will center on whether Israeli authorities step up enforcement against extremist violence and how political pressures within the coalition shape policy on settlements and security in the West Bank.