Israeli settlers attacked multiple West Bank communities late on Saturday, setting homes and vehicles on fire in al-Fandaqumiya and Seilat al-Dahr and injuring residents, local sources said. Al Jazeera-verified footage showed houses ablaze as people tried to extinguish the flames. Additional attacks and burned vehicles were reported in Masafer Yatta, Qaryut and Jalud, with stone-throwing incidents in several other towns. The UN says at least 1,094 Palestinians have died in the West Bank since October 2023, and rights groups accuse Israeli authorities of allowing settler impunity.
Israeli Settlers Torch Homes and Vehicles in West Bank During Eid; Multiple Palestinians Wounded
Settler violence in the West Bank has intensified in the shadow of Israel’s genocidal war on nearby Gaza [File: Jaafar Ashtiyeh/AFP]
Israeli settlers set fire to homes and vehicles in multiple West Bank communities late on Saturday, prompting widespread reports of attacks and several injuries, local agencies and international outlets reported.
Reported Attacks and Damage
The Palestinian Wafa news agency, citing local sources, said settlers stormed the village of al-Fandaqumiya and the town of Seilat al-Dahr, both south of Jenin, late on Saturday. In al-Fandaqumiya, Wafa reported that settlers "set homes and vehicles ablaze and damaged additional houses by smashing windows" as residents tried to confront them and extinguish the fires.
In Seilat al-Dahr, settlers reportedly targeted several houses, attempted to set them alight and physically assaulted at least one resident, leaving him wounded. Footage verified by Al Jazeera showed large flames inside houses in Seilat al-Dahr and a separate home on fire in al-Fandaqumiya while residents worked to put out the blazes.
Other Incidents Across the West Bank
Wafa also reported an assault on Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron, where settlers wounded two Palestinians and three others were detained after settlers entered the area under the protection of Israeli forces. Palestinian authorities circulated images and videos showing attacks on the villages of Qaryut and Jalud, south of Nablus; in Jalud a four-wheel-drive vehicle was left completely burned out after the assault.
Stone-throwing incidents and confrontations were reported elsewhere: near Haris (west of Salfit) settlers allegedly gathered on a main road and pelted Palestinian vehicles with stones; near Rawabi Square in Ramallah settlers reportedly threw stones at passing Palestinian-registered cars with no injuries recorded; and similar clashes were reported in Tuqu, southeast of Bethlehem.
Casualties, Arrests and Checkpoint Shooting
Separately, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) reported that at least two people were wounded by live fire from Israeli forces at the Jabara checkpoint south of Tulkarem on Saturday night.
Context and International Reporting
Observers and rights groups say settler attacks have intensified alongside Israel's military campaign in Gaza. According to the latest United Nations figures cited in reporting, at least 1,094 Palestinians in the West Bank have been killed by Israeli troops and settlers since the Gaza war began in October 2023.
The UN Human Rights Council has warned that Israeli policies in the West Bank — including what it describes as systematic unlawful use of force by Israeli security forces and unlawful demolitions of Palestinian homes — risk uprooting Palestinian communities.
Human rights organizations, including Israeli group B'Tselem, have accused Israeli authorities of permitting settlers to operate with impunity and of, in some cases, facilitating takeover of Palestinian land. Israeli and Palestinian sources provide differing perspectives on security and responsibility; investigations and accountability efforts remain a matter of international concern.
This series of incidents occurred during Eid al-Fitr celebrations, heightening tensions and drawing international attention to ongoing violence in the occupied West Bank.
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