Israeli settler attacks surge in Judea and Samaria, leaving 5 Palestinians dead in recent days

Violence committed by Israelis toward Palestinians living in Judea and Samaria (West Bank) has sharply risen over the last few months.

The Palestinian Authority (PA) Ministry of Health announced on Sunday that two Palestinians were killed overnight in another attack by settlers, after a separate confrontation less than 24 hours ago had left another Palestinian man dead.

Most of these types of incidents are carried out by fringe groups of radical Jewish settlers, who are often very young, live in settlement "outposts" that are illegal under Israeli law, and are commonly referred to as "Hilltop Youth."

According to the PA, the most recent incident occurred in the village of Abu Falah, near Ramallah, as reported by The Times of Israel. The victims were identified as 24-year-old Thaer Hama’el and 57-year-old Fares Hama’el.

There were also reports of a third person being killed, but officials have not yet confirmed.

While Palestinian media has reported that all three were shot during what was described as a settler raid of their village, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has not yet confirmed that information.

In recent days, five Palestinians have been killed in incidents linked to settler violence. Four were reportedly killed by settlers and one by an IDF reservist, as extremist attacks by Israelis across Judea and Samaria continue almost daily with few apparent consequences.

On Saturday, Palestinian officials said Amir Shenaran, 27, was killed by a settler in Wadi al-Rakhim, a Palestinian village in the Masafer Yatta region.

The IDF Military Police later said that a preliminary investigation determined the gunman was an Israeli reservist soldier who had arrived after reports of earlier clashes between Palestinians and settlers.

Palestinian media reported that Shenaran’s 33-year-old brother was critically wounded by settler gunfire in the same incident. Their father, uncle, and a woman were also reportedly taken to the hospital after being beaten by settlers. Reports said the brothers were shot while trying to prevent settlers from grazing livestock near their family home.

"This is an unacceptable incident," stated Maj.-Gen. Avi Bluth, head of the Israeli military in Judea and Samaria. "There will be zero tolerance for civilians who take the law into their own hands. These actions are dangerous; they do not represent the Jewish people or the State of Israel.”

The PA also said that two Palestinian men were shot dead last Monday by settlers in Qaryut, south of Nablus.

Israeli human rights group Yesh Din has reported that 50 incidents have been recorded since the beginning of the war with Iran on Feb. 28.

Figures published in January by the IDF and the Israel Security Agency showed a 27% increase in attacks by Jewish settlers against Palestinians in 2025 compared with the year before.

The data also pointed to a rise in more serious incidents involving shootings, arson, and other violent offenses, with 128 cases recorded in 2025, compared with 83 in 2024 and 54 in 2023.

Attacks by extremist Jews now occur on a near-daily basis and often go unchecked. Prosecutions are rare, and convictions even rarer. Critics have accused the current government – considered the most right-wing in Israel’s history – of largely overlooking the violence.

In November, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee defined such attacks committed by Israeli settlers as terrorism.

“I think there is an escalation [in settler violence],” Huckabee acknowledged. “Let's be real clear that most of these acts (are) on the part of Israeli attackers who are committing acts of terrorism, and let's just be blunt, that's what it is. Israelis can carry out terrorism as well.” 

“But most of these people are not actual settlers who live there,” Huckabee said. “There may be some, but this is a very small number, mostly of youth, angry and disaffected. These are thugs.” 

The ambassador repeated statements made by Israeli government officials, calling for legal consequences for those committing violent acts. 

Despite Huckabee’s call for justice regarding settler violence and for it to be labeled as “terrorism,” Israel’s internal security agency, Shin Bet, has downgraded its classification of settler assaults against Palestinians from “terror attacks” to “serious incidents," according to a Kan News report last month.