March 22, 2026, 10:32 amMarch 22, 2026, 10:32 am
Israeli settlers have again attacked villages in the occupied West Bank, according to Palestinian media reports. Houses and vehicles were set on fire in the area around the Palestinian cities of Jenin and Nablus. Significant property damage was caused. In a village south of Nablus, the village council building was set on fire. There were no reports of injuries.
The Israeli army said in response to a request that soldiers and police forces had been deployed to several Palestinian villages in the West Bank during the night “after reports were received that Israeli civilians had committed arson on buildings and property and caused disturbances in the area.” They condemn “all forms of violence and will continue to take measures to ensure the safety of residents and public order in the region.”
Significant increase in settler violence
Since the beginning of the Gaza war two and a half years ago, there has also been a significant increase in violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians and their property in the West Bank. Israeli Chief of Staff Ejal Zamir condemned the attacks on Palestinians by radical settlers this week as “morally and ethically unacceptable.”
The Israeli security forces are repeatedly accused of not taking decisive action against the phenomenon or even siding with the aggressive settlers.
Israel conquered, among other things, the West Bank and East Jerusalem in the Six-Day War in 1967. Today, around 700,000 Israeli settlers live there among three million Palestinians. The Palestinians claim the areas for their own state with East Jerusalem as its capital. (sda/dpa)