378 crimes in 40 days: Surge in West Bank settler attacks occurring under government cover

An Israeli rights group has reported a sharp rise in settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, saying attacks are taking place under clear government cover.

The organisation Yesh Din said it had documented 378 violent incidents carried out by settlers over just 40 days during the war with Iran— an average of ten incidents of settler violence took place per day. The attacks targeted Palestinians and their property across the territory.

According to the group, the incidents occurred in 148 Palestinian villages and towns across the West Bank.  

It added that eight Palestinians were killed by settler gunfire during that period, while around 200 others were injured. Cases of arson targeting property were also recorded.

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Yesh Din, which monitors settler violence and opposes settlement expansion, said on X: “Israel can stop settler violence if it chooses to. Instead, government policy encourages criminal settlers and fuels the spread of violent farm outposts across the West Bank,” referring to a tactic used by settlement activists to establish farming outposts aimed at forcing Palestinians from their homes.

The organisation said that “the map of Palestinian communities affected by settler violence under the cover of war clearly illustrates the objective of this state-backed violence: the displacement of Palestinians from their land and their confinement to small, densely-populated enclaves.” 

Three weeks into the 40-day war, an army unit was deployed to restrain settlers; however, a further 120 violent incidents were recorded by the end of the conflict.

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