Amid the war in Iran, Israeli settlers increase violence in the West Bank

Amid the military escalation in the Middle East following attacks against Iran, violence by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank left at least six Palestinians dead in less than a week, in a sequence of attacks recorded in villages near Ramallah, Hebron and Nablus.

The episodes include invasions of communities, shooting at residents and clashes linked to disputes over land in areas under Israeli occupation.

Among the victims were Thaer Faruq Hamayel, 24, and Farea Jawdat Hamayel, 57, shot dead in the village of Abu Falah, northeast of Ramallah, during an attack by settlers against residents who were trying to defend their land last Sunday (8).

In the same episode, Mohammad Murra, 55, died after inhaling tear gas during the intervention of Israeli forces at the site.

Other attacks occurred in the Masafer Yatta region, in the south of the West Bank, where Amir Mohammad Shanaran, 28, was shot dead by a settler identified as a reservist soldier, and in the village of Qaryout, southeast of Nablus, where two Palestinian brothers were killed after a clash between settlers and residents of an olive grove in the region.

According to reports from Palestinian residents and authorities, the attack in Masafer Yatta occurred on Saturday (7), when settlers took cattle to graze on land belonging to Palestinian residents.

During the ensuing clash, Amir Mohammad Shanaran was hit in the neck and died on the spot. His brother, Khaled, was seriously injured.

The shooter was identified as a settler from the Susya settlement and identified as a reservist soldier who was wearing a military uniform at the time of the attack.

In the village of Qaryout, southeast of Nablus, another episode occurred days earlier, when a settler who would also act as an occupation soldier went to an olive grove belonging to Palestinians and started work on an access road.

Residents of the region confronted the man, and shortly afterwards dozens of settlers arrived at the scene. Five Palestinians were shot during the episode and two died. The victims were brothers Mohammad Taha Mo’amar, aged 52, and Faheem, aged 48.

The increase in settler violence in the West Bank occurs amid rising tensions since the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023. According to data released by Palestinian organizations, at least 43 Palestinians have been killed by settlers since the start of the war, while attacks against villages, agricultural properties and livestock have been recorded in several areas of the occupied territory.

In recent days, this dynamic has gained new momentum amid the regional escalation caused by the United States military offensive against Iran.

While international attention focuses on the conflict involving Tehran, new attacks by settlers have been reported in the West Bank, deepening violence against Palestinian communities and increasing pressure on villages and agricultural areas in the occupied territory.

The West Bank has been occupied by Israel since 1967 and is home to hundreds of Israeli settlements considered illegal under international law. In recent decades, the expansion of these communities and conflicts over land ownership have been identified as one of the main sources of tension between Israeli settlers and Palestinian communities living in the territory.