Dozens of Israeli Settlers attacked the village of Jit in the West Bank, setting fire to homes and vehicles. The Palestinian health ministry reported that at least one person was killed and another critically injured.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the incident and is investigating the fatality, while Israeli leaders have condemned the violence and pledged consequences for those responsible.
Read more: MBS is Facing Assassination Threats due to his Push for Deal with Israel
Social media footage has surfaced showing houses and vehicles burning in Jit late Thursday, with smoke rising over the village. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office vowed to catch and prosecute those responsible for the violence.
President Isaac Herzog condemned the actions of the extremists, emphasizing their harm to the broader settler community and Israel’s global reputation, and called for immediate law enforcement action.
The IDF reported that its forces arrived quickly, fired into the air to disperse the attackers, and have initiated a joint investigation with Shin Bet and the Israeli police into the incident.
The U.S. has condemned the recent attacks by Israeli settlers, calling them “unacceptable” and demanding that Israeli authorities take immediate action to protect communities and hold those responsible accountable. A spokesperson from the White House National Security Council emphasized the need for intervention to halt such violence.
Palestinians have frequently accused Israeli security forces of turning a blind eye to violent settler attacks on their villages.
According to the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), over 1,000 settler attacks against Palestinians have occurred since October, resulting in significant displacement and damage, including fatalities and property destruction.
Despite international focus on the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza, the scale of settler violence has led the U.S., EU, and UK to impose sanctions on settler leaders and entire outposts, highlighting the severity of the situation.
