Escalating settler violence in occupied West Bank prompts warning from former Israeli officials as attacks leave casualties

Jun 16, 2026

Escalating Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank has led to civilian casualties, including the killing of a 7-month-old baby by an Israeli soldier and arson attacks on mosques. A coalition of former top Israeli officials, including Ehud Barak and Ehud Olmert, issued a "final warning" to the Netanyahu government, accusing it of inaction and complicity in what they term "Jewish terrorism" aimed at displacing Palestinians.

Mosque arson attacks

▪The Colonisation and Wall Resistance Commission documented 22 attacks on Muslim religious sites in the West Bank during May 2026.
▪Israeli settlers attempted to set fire to the al-Marah mosque in Deir Dibwan on June 14, 2026.
▪During the attack on al-Marah mosque, a settler sprayed an incendiary substance at 92-year-old Yasser Saqer Rashid, who was inside.

Settler violence impunity

▪A coalition of former Israeli officials accused Benjamin Netanyahu's government of having "done nothing to eliminate Jewish terrorism."
▪The coalition of officials includes former Prime Ministers Ehud Barak and Ehud Olmert, and former Mossad director Tamir Pardo.
▪Israeli authorities rarely punish settlers for crimes against Palestinians, and a police case was closed against "unknown assailants" despite video evidence.

Palestinian displacement patterns

▪The settler population in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem has increased from 250,000 in the 1990s to over 750,000.
▪The UN OCHA reports that over 117 Palestinian communities in the West Bank have faced complete or partial displacement from settler attacks.
▪Amnesty International and the UN report on systematic ethnic cleansing campaigns against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
▪The stated goal of settler violence is to expel Palestinians from their villages to enable the "forced Judaisation" of the West Bank.

State-backed settlement expansion

▪Since October 2023, settlers have established at least 165 new outposts, according to the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission.
▪In May 2026, Israeli authorities demolished 155 Palestinian structures across the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Economic destruction targeting

▪In a June 14, 2026 attack in Deir Dibwan, settlers burned vehicles and set fire to farmland.
▪The Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission recorded 124 attacks on agricultural lands in May 2026, damaging 7,222 trees.
▪The Abu Haikal family reported previous settler attacks on their property, including destruction of crops and theft.
▪On April 21, 2026, settlers attacked the Faqih family home in Beit Imrin, destroying glass doors.

Palestinian civilian casualties

▪Since October 2023, the Israeli army and settlers have killed at least 1,169 Palestinians in the West Bank, according to official Palestinian figures.
▪An Israeli soldier shot and killed 7-month-old Sam Abu Haikal near Hebron in early June 2026.
▪Since October 7, 2023, Israeli security forces have killed 241 children in the West Bank, according to the UN human rights office.
▪The baby's parents, Fahd Abu Haikal and Dania Salameh, were also injured in the shooting incident.