Key facts
- Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian villages in the occupied West Bank.
- An elderly Palestinian was injured after being pepper-sprayed by settlers.
- Settlers assaulted Palestinians in the al-Maghayyir and Abu Falah villages.
- A couple was assaulted by settlers, backed by the Israeli army.
- Human Rights Watch reported a surge in settler violence, with a recent incident in Tal village resulting in four Palestinian and two Israeli deaths.
Israeli settlers have been involved in multiple attacks on Palestinian villages in the occupied West Bank. In one incident near Bethlehem, an elderly Palestinian was pepper-sprayed while on his land. Wafa news reported further assaults on Palestinians in the al-Maghayyir and Abu Falah villages, including a couple whose vehicle was intercepted by settlers accompanied by the Israeli army. Two brothers from Abu Falah were detained by the army while working on their farmland. Settler gangs also attacked the western outskirts of al-Maghayyir, and Israeli forces raided the Solomon’s Pools tourist area in Bethlehem without reported casualties.
Human Rights Watch stated that settler violence has escalated significantly since December 2022, with a notable spike in March and April 2026. The organization reported on two settler attacks in Tal village near Nablus on July 24, 2026, which resulted in the deaths of four Palestinians and two Israelis. This incident triggered settler reprisal attacks and calls from Israeli officials for the destruction of Palestinian homes. Human Rights Watch interviewed witnesses and local activists, verifying videos of the confrontations. The attacks occurred in Area B, under joint Israeli-Palestinian security control. The Israeli military stated that soldiers were dispatched following a report of an attack on Israeli civilians and that weapons were stolen.