Israeli settler attacks and land seizures have surged across the West Bank, leaving residents displaced and facing mounting violence. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, there were 3,033 settler attacks in the West Bank between 1 January 2025 and 30 June 2026. More than half of these uprootings and violent incidents intensified following the 7 October 2023 attacks, according to reports from Majalla.
Surge in West Bank Violence and Land Seizures
In the Christian village of Taybeh, resident Roland Bassir has been unable to access the quarry and concrete plant he and his brother owned and operated for 20 years. Around 30 extremist Israeli settlers entered the site, hoisted an Israeli flag, and held prayer services. Bassir stated that settlers brought a backhoe, opened a dirt road into the quarry, and stationed guards around the property. Father Bashar Fawadleh, parish priest of Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church, said of the situation in Taybeh, We feel that we are losing everything,
adding that residents are losing their land, fruits, and income.
In the Jordan Valley community of Hamamat Al-Maleh, violent attacks by settlers against Palestinian farmers living in structures built by the Latin Patriarchate resulted in 11 out of 13 families fleeing the area, according to Zaki Sahlieh, attorney and head of endowments for the patriarchate.
Fatalities and Incidents in Al-Mughayyir
Violence has also turned lethal in other parts of the territory. Two Palestinians—14-year-old Aws al-Naasan and 32-year-old Jihad Abu Naim—were killed in the village of al-Mughayyir after Israeli settlers and soldiers opened fire during an attack that left three others wounded, according to witnesses and the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported by CBC. Kathem Al-Haj-Ahmed, a resident of al-Mughayyir, stated that settlers arrived first and attacked the village school, noting that eight settler outposts now encircle the village.
The Israeli advocacy group Yesh Din reported that lethal violence is increasingly carried out by settler-soldiers
from reserve battalions while on and off duty. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas called on the international community to pressure Israel to stop settlement activities, hold attackers accountable, and implement UN Security Council resolutions, particularly Resolution 2334 which deems settlements in occupied territory illegal, according to Gulfnews.
Expansion of Outposts and Political Context
According to the Israeli civil rights group Peace Now, there are now 231 settler outposts covering nearly 20 percent of the West Bank, displacing around 120 Palestinian communities. Israeli law regards these outposts as illegal, but the government has justified supporting them on security grounds. Meanwhile, the Yesha Council reported that the West Bank settler population, excluding East Jerusalem, reached 540,327 in January 2026.
Political analysts and reports indicate that right-wing and far-right parties within Israel’s governing coalition—such as those led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich—view settlers as crucial to their political support ahead of upcoming elections scheduled for 27 October, with settlement expansion and land registration efforts continuing despite international criticism.
