Israeli settlers launched a violent assault in the village of Jalud in the northern occupied West Bank, setting fire to homes and forcing a displaced Palestinian family to abandon their property once again. The incident unfolded on Tuesday, just hours after the Tubasi family had attempted to reoccupy their homes following an Israeli court ruling that ended nearly two months of displacement.
Local sources stated that the fires caused extensive damage, rendering the structures uninhabitable and triggering widespread panic across the village. According to residents, the confrontation escalated when villagers attempted to resist the settlers before Israeli military forces arrived. Rather than clearing the area of attackers, witnesses claimed that military personnel provided protection for the settlers and, in some instances, compelled members of the Tubasi family to evacuate the area at gunpoint.
Mahmoud Tubasi, one of the homeowners, explained that his family returned to the site under legal mandate only to discover significant destruction caused by settlers who had previously occupied the property. Shortly after the family arrived, the settlers returned overnight to set the buildings ablaze. The family had originally fled the area in July due to a pattern of persistent harassment and escalating settler violence.
The Israeli military confirmed that over 100 settlers rioted in the vicinity of Jalud, obstructing roads, burning tires, and throwing stones at security forces. In a statement, the military noted, “Due to the violence, the mission to return the family to their home was not completed.” The military claimed that Border Police and soldiers operated in the area to disperse the rioters and protect local residents, maintaining that the return of the family had been a coordinated effort.
This attack is part of a broader surge in violence across the occupied West Bank, which has intensified significantly throughout 2026. Data from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs indicates that more than 1,330 settler-related attacks occurred between January and late July, averaging six incidents per day. This represents the most rapid increase in such activity in approximately two decades. But the pogroms have intensified significantly this year, israeli violence against Palestinians in the West Bank has been steadily growing since the eruption of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs recorded more than 1,330 settler-related attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank from January to late July, averaging six a day and representing the fastest pace in about 20 years. Often supported or protected by Israeli soldiers, have attacked Palestinians in several ways, including shooting them, besieging homes and engaging in other forms of communal violence that experts have described as pogroms, settler groups.
In other developments, a separate assault took place on Tuesday in Qaryut, south of Nablus. Local sources reported that settlers forced entry into a home and physically attacked an elderly woman. Footage captured by a volunteer medic, Bashar al-Qaryuti, showed the woman sustained visible bruising to her head and hand. Additionally, in the village of al-Mughayyir, settlers targeted multiple homes while military forces simultaneously conducted a raid and detained a local man. According to she, A group of settlers broke down the door of the house and assaulted the woman.
The rise in settler violence has drawn sharp international condemnation. Julien Lerisson, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross delegation for the region, warned on Monday that such severe, frequent attacks must end. He emphasized that authorities have a legal responsibility to protect the civilian population and must respect international humanitarian law regarding private property and access to essential services.
High-level diplomatic criticism has also mounted. In August, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee labeled settlers involved in such violence as “terrorists,” warning that these actions inflict significant damage on Israel’s international standing. Earlier in June, a group of 14 UN special rapporteurs cautioned that the surge in “settler terror,” allegedly facilitated by state support, poses an existential threat to the stability of Palestinian communities.
