Israeli settlers burn Palestinian home near Jericho amid rising West Bank attacks

Israeli settlers set fire to a Palestinian home on Thursday in the Al-Murashahat area near Aqabat Jabr refugee camp, northwest of Jericho, in the eastern West Bank, completely destroying the property.

The house belongs to the Mleihat (Kaabneh) family. The Al-Baydar Human Rights Organization said the attack caused fear and panic among family members and nearby residents, amid an escalation of repeated assaults targeting Bedouin communities in the area. The group said the attacks form part of a systematic policy of intimidation aimed at forcibly displacing residents from their land.

Al-Baydar added that the arson was part of a broader pattern of settler violence against Palestinians and their property, and called for immediate protection for residents and accountability for those responsible.

Separately, the Palestinian Authority Commission Against the Wall and Settlements said 2025 saw a sharp rise in settler attacks across the occupied West Bank, recording 4,723 incidents targeting Palestinians and their property in multiple governorates, amid what it described as official and political backing for settlers.

Palestinian human rights organisations say the continued attacks are intended to displace Palestinians from Area C and facilitate the expansion of settlements built on West Bank land.

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