Jewish extremist attacks surge in West Bank: officials accuse ministers of backing rioters

While Palestinian terrorism has declined significantly, Israel's security establishment is expressing deep concern over a dangerous trend in the opposite direction: a sharp and sustained rise in incidents of nationalist violence in the West Bank. "We are not talking about a handful of people, and anyone who says it is just a handful simply does not want to solve the problem, just like those who claim the entire settlement movement behaves this way," a security official said. "We are talking about a hard core of approximately 300 to 500 teenagers who are completely out of control." According to security establishment figures published here for the first time, the number of incidents has risen dramatically since the start of the war. While approximately 800 incidents were recorded in 2025, the total had already exceeded 950 by early October 2026, approaching the record of 980 incidents recorded throughout 2023, the year the war began. Security officials point to February 28, when Operation Roaring Lion began, as a major turning point, with another sharp increase in both the number and severity of incidents. "These are criminals in every sense of the word, lawless thugs who set fire to homes with people inside," the security official said. "In the past, they would justify their actions as responses to terrorist attacks, something along the lines of 'price tag' attacks. Today, their entire approach has changed. These are now deliberate incursions intended to drive Palestinians out." Last month, ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth revealed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had ordered the evacuation of all outposts located in Areas A and B of the West Bank. However, military officials say the extremists are acting in direct defiance of that directive, establishing illegal outposts in those areas. More seriously, the security establishment has sharply criticized the political support the extremists receive. "There are Knesset members and government ministers who visit illegal outposts and give them their full backing," the official said. The IDF stresses that the main difficulty in confronting the phenomenon stems from the stark differences in the tools available to security forces. "It is important to understand that when dealing with Palestinian terrorists, we use every tool available, from M16 rifles to F16 fighter jets, and gather extensive intelligence," the security official explained. "By contrast, the IDF is prohibited from gathering intelligence on the 'blue side' [Israeli civilians], and the range of tools at our disposal is far more limited." Despite these restrictions, security officials insist they are making full use of the tools at their disposal. However, they say tackling the problem requires action in several areas, including education, tougher penalties, public outreach, financial sanctions and legal measures. Security officials say authorities should make greater use of existing regulations to confiscate vehicles used by extremists and require illegal outpost owners to cover the costs of evacuating their outposts. They are also calling for more vehicle confiscation orders, stronger financial penalties and more effective legal enforcement. A central part of the problem involves ensuring that suspects arrested during enforcement operations are held accountable. Security agencies have also criticized the judiciary. "Some judges fail to grasp the seriousness of the situation and release rioters accused of serious offenses, including assaulting security forces or violating court orders," officials said. "Others, however, take a much tougher approach." The IDF is calling for additional dedicated forces to handle this complex mission. Military officials also say the Shin Bet, Israel's domestic security agency, is now employing methods that were not previously available. "The head of the Shin Bet is operating very creatively and achieving significant successes in preventing attacks, using methods we have not seen before and cannot elaborate on," military officials said. At the same time, they are questioning how the extremists raise money and why authorities are not taking legal action against their fundraising activities. "These young extremists are raising money. Why isn't their fundraising being treated as illegal?" they asked. The IDF would also like to see stronger public condemnation from regional council heads and senior settlement leaders. "Two council heads are not afraid to speak out openly and honestly, but where are the rest?" security officials said. "When they need something from the military, they make sure their voices are heard. They clearly know how to speak up and exert pressure when they want to." Addressing the issue of administrative detention, which allows suspects to be held without trial under certain circumstances, a senior security official said: "I am not going to get into whether it is good or bad. There are directives, and we follow them. But on the ground, the feeling right now is that these teenagers believe they are untouchable." The official added that "attempts were also made to revoke administrative detention orders, but ultimately that did not happen, despite heavy pressure." The security establishment warns that the true cost of nationalist violence could be far greater, potentially causing severe strategic damage to Israel and the settlement movement as a whole. "Because of their actions, we could lose all the security achievements we have made," the official warned. "Beyond that, we are losing valuable assets. In the United States, voices critical of Israel that we had not heard before are now emerging because of these incidents. "In fact, because of American pressure, the settlement movement could lose gains it has made in recent years that have changed the reality on the ground. And there are people who do not understand that." Regional council heads, some of whom are working behind the scenes to combat extremist violence, are aware of the criticism directed at them. However, they insist that they have been demanding that law enforcement authorities take action against the rioters and remove them from the West Bank. The incidents come as settlement activity reaches new heights. Regional council heads also fear that nationalist violence could fuel efforts to delegitimize Israel and jeopardize the gains the settlement movement has made in recent years.