Settler Violence Expands into Palestinian-Governed Areas on West Bank, Rights Groups Say

Settler violence is increasingly encroaching upon areas under the direct administration of the Palestinian Authority on the West Bank, according to Israeli human rights organization B'Tselem and United Nations assessments. The Oslo Accords of the 1990s divided the occupied West Bank into three areas: Area A, fully governed by the PA; Area B, where the PA handles daily affairs and Israel manages security; and Area C, under complete Israeli control. While most settlements and the majority of settler attacks occur in Area C, the violence is now extending into Areas B and A. B'Tselem describes this as an attempt to replicate the "success" of ethnic cleansing in Area C into more urbanized areas of Area B, aiming to dismantle Palestinian society and end self-determination. Residents in villages like Turmus Ayya, located in Area B, report near-daily attacks by settlers attempting to provoke confrontations and undermine Palestinian presence. These attacks, which have included arson, are often allegedly carried out with the complicity or inaction of the Israeli military and police, who are accused of protecting settlers. The escalating violence has led to Palestinian fatalities, with the UN reporting 76 Palestinians killed on the West Bank this year, including at least 13 by settlers. Recent incidents include a clash near Nablus where four Palestinians and two Israelis were killed, with conflicting accounts of who initiated the violence. Despite Prime Minister Netanyahu's characterization of such acts as the work of a small group of extremist youths, human rights organizations argue it represents a broader pattern. They also highlight a systemic failure in prosecution, with Yesh Din reporting that nearly 94% of investigations into Israeli civilian violence against Palestinians between 2005 and 2025 concluded without an indictment.