Israeli settlers raided multiple West Bank communities for a second straight night, injuring at least nine Palestinians and torching homes and vehicles during Eid al-Fitr. The attacks hit towns near Jenin and Nablus as well as agricultural areas in Masafer Yatta and the Jordan Valley. The violence followed a fatal collision involving an Israeli teenager and comes amid new Israeli government measures seen by Palestinians and rights groups as de facto annexation. International bodies including UN OCHA and the ICJ have criticised Israeli policies in the occupied territories.
Settler Violence Sweeps West Bank for Second Night, At Least Nine Palestinians Injured
Flame and smoke rise from burning houses and vehicles following an attack by Israeli settlers in the village of Deir al-Hatab, east of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, on March 22, 2026 [AFP]
Israeli settlers carried out coordinated raids across multiple towns and villages in the occupied West Bank for a second consecutive night, leaving at least nine Palestinians injured and causing widespread property damage, local agencies and medical responders said.
Incidents and Casualties
According to the Wafa news agency and medical sources, a 45-year-old Palestinian man was shot in the foot late on Sunday during clashes with settlers in Deir al-Hatab, east of Nablus. The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) reported that a 47-year-old man was assaulted by settlers in Jabal al-Arma in Beita, and that others across the affected areas suffered beatings and pepper-spray attacks.
Witnesses and local reports said settlers set fire to homes and vehicles in two locations south of Jenin and vandalised property in multiple communities. Simultaneous attacks were reported on Saturday night in at least six communities, including Silat ad-Dhahr and al-Fandaqumiya near Jenin; Jalud and Salfit south of Nablus; and agricultural areas in Masafer Yatta and the Jordan Valley. The violence took place during the Eid al-Fitr holiday.
Trigger and Official Responses
Sunday's attacks followed a funeral in the settlement of Elon Moreh for 18-year-old Yehuda Sherman, who died after a collision with a Palestinian vehicle in an area north of the villages that were later attacked. Israeli police said they were investigating claims by settlers that the collision was deliberate.
Political Context
The unrest comes as the Israeli government continues to advance new settlement measures in the occupied West Bank. Last month Israel's security cabinet approved steps championed by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Defence Minister Israel Katz that would allow the state to declare large areas of the occupied West Bank as 'state property' if Palestinians cannot prove ownership. The Palestinian presidency described the decisions as a 'grave escalation and a flagrant violation of international law' amounting to 'de facto annexation.'
International Reaction and Legal Context
Humanitarian and rights organisations have criticised the escalation. Amnesty International described the expansion of settlements and what it called state-backed settler violence as 'a direct indictment of the international community's catastrophic failure to take decisive action.' The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) reports that 25 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli settlers and soldiers so far this year.
In 2024 the International Court of Justice ruled that Israel's continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is unlawful and should end 'as rapidly as possible,' citing a range of policies — including settlement construction and expansion, resource exploitation, annexation measures and discriminatory practices — that the court said violate international law.
What To Watch
Key developments to follow include the outcome of Israeli police investigations into the collision that preceded the violence, the implementation of recent cabinet measures on West Bank land designation, and ongoing reporting from humanitarian groups on civilian casualties and property damage.
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