Key facts
- Violent Israeli settler attacks in Areas A and B of the West Bank have nearly doubled in 2026.
- Two-thirds of settler violence incidents in 2026 have occurred in areas under direct Palestinian Authority governance.
- Settler leaders aim to establish footholds in strategic Palestinian locations within Areas A and B.
- The percentage of settler attacks in Area B increased to 55% in 2026, while attacks in Area C decreased.
- Senior Israeli ministers have called for the cancellation of the Oslo Accords and control of Area B.
- France has imposed sanctions on Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
Violent Israeli settler attacks in the occupied West Bank have increasingly targeted Areas A and B, regions under direct Palestinian Authority rule, according to a report by the Israeli human rights organization Yesh Din. These areas were designated for a future Palestinian state under the 1995 Oslo Accords. The report, titled 'The Next Frontier, Violence by Israeli Civilians in Areas A and B,' indicates a deliberate strategic shift by settlers and the government to exert pressure on Palestinians within these territories.
Since 2024, settler leaders have openly declared their intention to establish new farming outposts in Areas A and B to gain a foothold in "very strategic" Palestinian locations. Data from 2026 shows that nearly two-thirds of settler violence incidents have occurred in these areas, with the percentage of attacks in Area B rising to 55% compared to 25% the previous year. Conversely, attacks in Area C, which constitutes 60% of the West Bank and has historically been the primary site for settlements, declined from 67% to 37% of the overall figure.
Yesh Din asserts that the successful establishment of numerous outposts, often in violation of Israeli law, demonstrates a deliberate choice by Israel not to effectively address the issue, aligning settler goals with government policy. Senior ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich have publicly expressed their ambition to gain control of Area B and dismantle the divisions established by the Oslo Accords.
This escalation of settler violence has drawn increasing international concern. The United States and Europe have imposed sanctions on settlers and pro-settler figures, including Minister Ben-Gvir. France, in particular, condemned the situation as "utterly disgraceful." The UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported approximately 190 settler-involved attacks per month in early 2026, projecting over 2,000 such incidents by year-end. The agency also noted that 18 Palestinians had died in settler-involved attacks as of July 20, 2026.
Yesh Din concludes that this strategy, implemented through outpost expansion and violence, aims to push Palestinian residents into town and village centers, thereby emptying surrounding areas of Palestinian presence. This, the report argues, advances Israel's policy of annexing West Bank territory with minimal Palestinian population, a goal described as "ethnic cleansing" and supported by state institutions.