Mapping Israeli settler violence in the West Bank

Two mosques in the occupied West Bank were targeted in arson attacks during early Sunday hours, with Israeli settlers setting fires at Al-Rahma mosque in Qusra south of Nablus and another mosque in Kour village south of Tulkarem. Both structures sustained significant damage, and settlers spray-painted "Jewish revenge" on the burning buildings. These incidents represent the latest in an extended pattern of attacks on Palestinian religious sites.

Palestinian officials report that at least 45 mosques were vandalised or burned by illegal settlers across the West Bank during 2025 alone. The escalation follows a Friday confrontation in the village of Tal southwest of Nablus, where Israeli settlers entered an area from which they are officially restricted. Palestinian residents confronted the group, forcing an initial retreat, but the settlers returned with reinforcements, leading to armed clashes. During the violence, four Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers were killed, with additional casualties on both sides.

Data compiled by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs documents the scale of settler violence. Between January 2025 and June 2026, 3,033 settler attacks were recorded across the West Bank. The Ramallah and el-Bireh governorate experienced the highest number with 881 incidents, followed by Nablus with 660 and Hebron with 497. All West Bank governorates have experienced settler attacks over the past year.

The frequency of attacks has accelerated markedly since Israel's military operations in Gaza commenced in October 2023. Recorded settler attacks numbered 1,291 in 2023, increased to 1,449 in 2024, reached 1,835 in 2025, and totalled 761 in the first four months of 2026. This trajectory represents a monthly average of 190 attacks in 2026, compared to 153 per month in 2025, constituting a 24 percent increase in the monthly rate.

Israeli settlements are Jewish-only communities established on Palestinian-owned land occupied by Israel since 1967. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has consistently expanded settlement development since first assuming office in 1996, actions that contradict the 1993 Oslo Accords, which stipulated settlement freezes and negotiated two-state resolution. Recent government measures include approval of a land registration programme in the West Bank designed to enable seizure of Palestinian property where ownership documentation cannot be produced.