Settlers, Army Turn West Bank Into War Zone: 8 Dead, Homes Seized, Mosques Torched
Fresh violence has erupted across the occupied West Bank as Israeli forces and settlers have launched coordinated raids, leaving at least eight people dead, injuring dozens, and converting Palestinian homes into military barracks, according to local sources and international observers.
Israeli troops raided a United Nations training center north of East Jerusalem on Tuesday, firing tear gas inside the facility and detaining staff members, according to the Jerusalem Governorate [204707]. The Qalandia Training Center, run by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), was targeted in the operation [204707]. Belgium has condemned the raid, with its Foreign Ministry calling for respect of international law and the protection of UN facilities [207262].
Clashes near the town of Till, southwest of Nablus, have left five people dead—four Palestinians and one Israeli—with four other Palestinians wounded and two Israelis injured [203774]. Violence also erupted Friday morning around Nablus, leaving two Israelis and four Palestinians dead [204074]. In response, the Israeli government ordered the military to accelerate the construction of illegal settlements, a directive considered illegal under international law [204074].
The Israeli military has now converted several Palestinian homes into military barracks, establishing a new outpost in the town of Tell, days after an attack killed four Palestinians [207269]. Local residents say soldiers have taken over buildings, using them as bases for operations [207269].
A wave of attacks by Israeli settlers has also targeted several Palestinian communities, with witnesses reporting that a mosque was set on fire during the violence [205044]. Palestine’s Supreme Fatwa Council has condemned the burning of two mosques in the occupied West Bank, calling the attacks a “systematic crime” that provokes Muslims worldwide [207263]. The council accused Israeli settlers of carrying out the arsons in Nablus and Tulkarm [207263].
In the village of Al-Mughayyir, residents say settlers lay siege to a stone home on the village’s edge with alarming regularity, attacking with rocks and threats [206286]. The attacks are part of a broader surge in settler violence across the occupied West Bank, which the United Nations has condemned [206286].
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called the attacks on mosques, property, and Palestinians “heinous and unacceptable,” urging Israeli authorities to protect Palestinian civilians and hold perpetrators accountable [206014]. Hamas has also condemned an order by Israel’s Defense Minister to destroy a refugee camp in the West Bank, calling it a “dangerous escalation” and a violation of international law [205920].
The international community has called for restraint, but the situation remains volatile as settlement activity accelerates and daily life under occupation grows increasingly untenable [206014].