LONDON: Israeli settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank increased by 63 percent in the last seven months of 2026 compared to the same period last year, according to the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission.
The Palestinian Authority-affiliated group recorded 4,113 attacks by settlers between January and July, an increase of 1,589 attacks from 2025. The last two months, June and July, were the most violent, recording 748 and 798 attacks respectively, reported the Palestine News Agency.
“The increase (in settlers’ attacks) should not be viewed as a collection of isolated incidents, but rather as the result of an environment of political, security, and legal enablement that has intensified since the formation of the (Israeli) far-right government at the end of 2022,” it said.
The group added that the “weak” deterrence and accountability mechanisms by the international community have led to an increase in “colonists’ terrorism,” pushing Palestinian communities toward displacement.
Excluding East Jerusalem, around 500,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank, alongside some 3 million Palestinians, since Israel occupied the region in 1967. They reside in settlements which are considered illegal by most of the international community.
