Israeli settlers attacked a village in the West Bank to prevent a Palestinian family, whom they had displaced, from returning to their home, despite an Israeli court order allowing their return.
On 29 Sep 2026, a group of Jewish settlers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank attacked the village of Jalud, south of Nablus, to block a Palestinian family from returning to their home, escalating into arson of homes and assaults on Israeli security forces.
Reports state that the Al-Tubasi family, led by 60-year-old Mahmoud Al-Tubasi, who had been forced out weeks earlier by settlers, returned to their home escorted by the Israeli army and border police following a Supreme Court ruling earlier that month allowing their return.
Upon their arrival with authorities, over 150 settlers gathered via WhatsApp and stormed the area, throwing stones and damaging property. Israeli security forces responded with pepper spray and had to place the Al-Tubasi family onto a military vehicle for protection.
However, settlers punctured the military vehicle's tires, forcing authorities to move the family into an armored vehicle. Meanwhile, settlers set fire to cars and both of the Al-Tubasi family’s homes, destroying them and thwarting the family's return.
The clashes spread to nearby villages, with a Palestinian woman assaulted and homes burned. Additionally, three Israeli police officers suffered minor injuries.
Mahmoud Al-Tubasi said he feared for his life and doubted he would survive, noting that while Israeli authorities saved his family, they failed to decisively act or arrest the settlers during the incident.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the attack on security forces and ordered prosecution of those responsible.
However, at last week’s United Nations General Assembly, Netanyahu downplayed settler violence against Palestinians, claiming media overlooked attacks on Israelis and focused only on “about 150 unruly youths throwing stones and cutting olive trees.”
Human rights organization Yesh Din stated that Israeli police investigations into settler violence over the past 20 years have led to convictions in fewer than 3% of cases, attributing this enforcement failure to government policies aimed at displacing Palestinians and expanding control in the West Bank.
The United Nations reported that since 2023, over 6,500 Palestinians in the West Bank have been displaced due to attacks and area restrictions by Israeli settlers, with 6,199 recorded settler attacks causing damage or loss during this period.
This year alone, at least 82 Palestinians have died in the West Bank due to actions by Israeli security forces and settler groups.
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Source:bbc