Israeli settlers rampage in West Bank as four Palestinians die in Gaza

United Nations experts have condemned what they describe as an 'accelerating campaign of ethnic cleansing and annexation in the occupied West Bank.'

“At least nine Palestinians have been injured as Israeli settlers rampaged through towns and villages in the occupied West Bank for a second night in a row”

Al Jazeera

Most road gates out of the territory have been closed by Israel since February 28, 2026.

Al Jazeera

The UN panel warned that 'entrapped and out of reach, entire communities live in fear of settler terrorism rampaging across the West Bank day and night.'

Thousands of Palestinian families have been forced to flee their homes due to escalating settler attacks and infrastructure destruction.

The UN reports that nearly 700 Palestinians in nine communities have been displaced due to settler violence so far in 2026.

Over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli troops and settlers since October 2023.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett condemned these attacks, stating 'We did not establish a Jewish state so that violent gangs would operate within it.'

Bennett called the attacks 'yet another failure of governance by the government.'

Palestinian communities across the West Bank faced violent attacks during the Eid al-Fitr holiday marking the end of Ramadan.

WAFA reported attacks in the villages of Silat al Dahr and Fandaqumiya, both near Jenin.

NBC News

Additional attacks occurred in Jalud and Salfit, both south of Nablus.

Settlers also targeted the agricultural regions Masafer Yatta and the Jordan Valley.

These attacks resulted in homes and cars being set ablaze.

Palestinians were pepper-sprayed during the assaults.

At least five people were wounded in the overnight attacks.

The coordinated nature of these attacks during a significant religious holiday indicates a deliberate campaign of intimidation.

Israel's military has faced criticism from within its own ranks for failing to control settler violence.

“At least 10 Palestinians were injured Sunday night in attacks in the occupied West Bank by Israeli settlers, who rampaged through nearby villages after holding a funeral for a settler killed in a car crash a night earlier”

The Globe and Mail

Gen. Eyal Zamir, the head of Israel's military, condemned such attacks as 'especially unacceptable during wartime for the military to confront a threatening minority from within.'

Israeli security forces detained five Israeli civilians and confiscated some weapons during attempts to restore order.

Security forces came under attack from Israeli civilians during these operations.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that 25 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli settlers and soldiers this year as of March 15, 2026.

Gen. Zamir's public condemnation indicates growing concern within the Israeli military establishment about the impact of settler violence.

The concern relates to both Israel's security operations and international standing.

While West Bank communities face settler violence, the Gaza genocide continues with Israeli strikes killing Palestinian civilians.

On the same day as the West Bank attacks, four Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip.

TIME

Three police officers were killed when a strike hit a vehicle in the central Nuseirat refugee camp.

According to Awda Hospital, the strike killed three police officers and wounded ten others.

These deaths add to the massive casualties from Israel's devastating assault on Gaza.

Israel's assault has killed at least 70,000 people according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.

The violence followed a Hamas attack on southern Israel from Gaza in October 2023 that killed around 1,200 people.

The ongoing violence represents a systematic campaign against Palestinian populations.

The Israeli government continues to expand settlements in the West Bank despite international condemnation.

“At least nine Palestinians have been injured as Israeli settlers rampaged through towns and villages in the occupied West Bank for a second night in a row”

Al Jazeera

A UN High Commissioner for Human Rights report documented that 36,000 Palestinians were forcibly displaced between November 1, 2024, and October 31, 2025.

Al Jazeera

The same report documented 1,732 incidents of settler violence resulting in casualties or property damage.

Israeli settlements in the West Bank are widely considered to be in violation of international law.

The West Bank is defined by the United Nations as under Israeli military occupation.

This occupation began with the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

Systematic displacement and settlement expansion represent Israel's broader strategy.

This strategy aims at territorial consolidation and demographic engineering.

The goal is to permanently alter the demographic composition of Palestinian territories.