The United Nations has documented a sharp increase in settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, coinciding with Israeli government plans for over 26,000 new settlement units.
According to the UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), a Palestinian family of six was temporarily displaced from Khirbet Abu Falah, near Ramallah, after settlers allegedly set fire to their home. OCHA also reported that in a single week, 30 Palestinians, including four children, were injured by Israeli settlers. Since October 1st, 167 settler attacks related to the olive harvest season have been recorded.
Furthermore, OCHA highlighted that over 1,500 Palestinians in the West Bank have been displaced this year due to Israeli demolitions, often carried out under the pretext of lacking building permits. Satellite imagery reportedly reveals that approximately 1,460 structures have been damaged or destroyed in the Jenin, Nur Shams, and Tulkarem refugee camps.
The UN Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights has stated that the forced displacement of Palestinians within the occupied territories could constitute a war crime.
Meanwhile, the Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem reports that the Israeli government has advanced plans for the construction of more than 26,000 new housing units in Israeli settlements across the occupied West Bank, spanning an area of over 30,000 dunams. The institute claims that since the beginning of 2025, 194 settlement plans have been proposed, with a significant concentration in the occupied Jerusalem Governorate.
Palestinian residents in Hebron have reported observing Israeli military vehicles entering several neighborhoods in the southern part of the city, moving towards areas near settlements and outposts. There are concerns that these movements are preparations for the upcoming “Sarah’s Saturday,” an event that typically sees an influx of settlers into Hebron and a rise in attacks against Palestinians.
A youth group in Hebron, “Youth Against Settlements,” is calling on Palestinian residents to remain vigilant.
