West Bank – Tensions are escalating in the West Bank as Israeli forces continue daily incursions into Palestinian towns and cities, accompanied by a surge in settler violence. Two Palestinians were wounded by Israeli gunfire during a raid in Qabatiya, south of Jenin. Separately, a young man was shot by settlers near Sinjil, north of Ramallah.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society reported that two Palestinians, ages 17 and 20, sustained gunshot wounds inflicted by Israeli forces in Qabatiya overnight and were subsequently hospitalized. Eyewitness accounts detail Israeli military vehicles entering the town, deploying throughout its streets, and firing live ammunition and tear gas at residents. Villagers attempted to resist the incursion but were ultimately unsuccessful.
Near Sinjil, a Palestinian youth was injured by settler gunfire in the al-Tall area. Local sources reported that dozens of settlers attempted to attack the town, prompting a confrontation with residents. The Sinjil municipality stated that settlers launched an armed assault, firing heavily at the local security committee responsible for protecting the town, resulting in the injury of one resident in the leg. The Israeli military reportedly entered the area where the settlers had gathered, a location where they have been attempting to establish an outpost for months.
The municipality further asserted that the attack is part of a broader pattern of escalating attacks supported by the Israeli army, aimed at imposing a new settlement reality. In a particularly alarming development, the Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf (Religious Endowments) reported that Israeli settlers set fire to a mosque and scrawled racist slogans in the town of Deir Istiya, in the Salfit Governorate, northern West Bank.
Since the start of the Gaza conflict, settler attacks have intensified, with over 7,154 incidents recorded, resulting in the deaths of 33 Palestinians and the displacement of 33 communities. Combined attacks by the army and settlers have led to the deaths of at least 1,070 Palestinians, with approximately 10,700 injured and over 20,500 detained.
Hundreds of Palestinians from the Nur Shams refugee camp demonstrated, demanding their right of return.
