DaysofPal- A new report by the National Office for the Defense of Land and Resistance to Settlement warns of accelerating developments in the occupied West Bank and a severe security deterioration as settler terrorism against Palestinians continues to escalate.
The report pointed out that this year’s olive harvest season witnessed the worst wave of settler violence the West Bank has seen in years.
The report further highlighted growing documentation by Israeli civil and human rights groups, as well as international organizations, pointing to unprecedented levels of settler violence that “have crossed all limits.”
It noted that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed concern that the surge in settler attacks could undermine efforts to sustain the ceasefire in Gaza.
The rights report also pointed out to positions taken by European Union states, which have condemned settler violence and called on the Israeli occupation to intervene to stop it. However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to present himself as “washing his hands of settler crimes,” claiming he seeks to bring perpetrators to justice.
The report recalls that on August 28, 2024, Netanyahu said he viewed U.S. sanctions on violent settlers “with grave concern,” revealing his true stance on the issue.
Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz responded to questions about settler terrorism by reaffirming that the Israeli occupation will continue expanding and strengthening settlements across the West Bank in cooperation with settler leadership, “while maintaining law, security, and regional stability.”
He rejected reinstating administrative detention orders against extremist settler groups such as “Price Tag” and “Hilltop Youth,” and refused to classify their attacks as terrorism.
Data published by Yedioth Ahronoth, citing Israeli security sources, shows that during the two years of the Gaza war, 1,586 incidents of Jewish nationalist crime were recorded, an average of two per day, including 114 attacks carried out by Jews against Israeli army and police forces. According to the same data, this year has witnessed a 20–25% increase in incidents compared to 2024.
The report notes that the Shin Bet security agency, unlike the government, remains committed to combating Jewish terrorism rather than covering it up as mere criminal behavior or a “social problem.”
It adds that since the beginning of 2025, 174 Palestinians have been injured in nationalist-motivated settler attacks, an increase of 12% from 2024, with a total of 376 Palestinians injured in such incidents since the Gaza war began.
Yedioth Ahronoth also warned that the current surge in settler violence originates from illegal outposts and so-called “grazing farms,” reaching a dangerous level that has prompted brigade commanders to urge Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir to reinstate administrative detention orders that he canceled earlier this year.
The newspaper further revealed that the head of the Israeli military’s Central Command, Avi Blut, boasted of establishing around 120 illegal settler farms, effectively new outposts, in the West Bank.
The findings paint a picture of a West Bank gripped by escalating settler terrorism, a government unwilling to curb it, and growing international concern that this violence could destabilize both the West Bank and ongoing ceasefire efforts in Gaza.
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