Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians in occupied West Bank rise by 30%: Report

By Zein Khalil and Betul Yilmaz

JERUSALEM / ISTANBUL (AA) – Attacks by illegal Israeli settlers on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank have surged by 30% this year, Israeli figures showed on Sunday.

Israel’s Army Radio, citing government data, said the first half of 2025 saw 414 settler attacks, up from 318 in the first half of last year.

“This represents a significant increase of about 30% compared to the same period last year,” it said.

“This increase is reflected not only in the number of attacks but also in their severity, as the attacks are becoming more and more severe,” the radio said, citing a senior military official.

According to the radio, illegal Israeli settlers staged 679 attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank in 2024.

Since the start of Israel’s assault on Gaza in October 2023, at least 986 Palestinians have been killed and more than 7,000 injured in the West Bank by Israeli forces and illegal settlers, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

The International Court of Justice last July declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.