May 15, 2026, 12:20 p.mMay 15, 2026, 12:20 p.m
Israeli settlers attacked several villages in the West Bank in the early hours of the morning, according to Palestinian media reports.
A mosque was set on fire in a town near Ramallah, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.
The settlers also set several vehicles on fire. In another village near Nablus, the attackers tore down doors and caused panic among the residents, it said. There was initially no confirmation of the incidents from the Israeli military.
A destroyed vehicle.Image: keystone
Since the Hamas massacre on October 7, 2023 and the Gaza war it triggered, violence by radical Israeli settlers against Palestinians and their property in the occupied West Bank has increased significantly.
The Israeli commander responsible for the West Bank, Avi Bluth, recently clearly condemned the settler violence. However, the Israeli security forces continue to be accused of not taking decisive action against the phenomenon or even of siding with aggressive settlers.
The reports of the new violence come a day after a controversial flag march in Jerusalem. Tens of thousands of nationalist Israelis marched through the Old City, including through Muslim quarters, under heavy police protection. Media reported anti-Arab slogans, attacks on residents and damaged shop windows.
For Palestinians, May 15th is also the so-called Nakba Day (Day of Catastrophe), which commemorates the destruction of Palestinian villages and the expulsion of the residents one day after the anniversary of the founding of the Israeli state on May 14, 1948. (hkl/sda/dpa)