Time to act: Governments have a legal duty to confront Israeli settler violence in West Bank

In the month of October 2025, there have been 264 settler attacks against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. This equals an average of eight attacks per day, resulting in material damage and injuries.

This is the highest monthly figure since the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) began documenting settler offences in 2006. OCHA notes that out of the 9,600 settler attacks documented since 2006, 1,500 of occurred this year.

Harvest season turns deadly

The escalation in settler violence coincided with the olive harvest season, which started in mid October.

More than 150 attacks have targeted 77 towns and villages in the occupied West Bank. Settlers have injured around 140 Palestinians, and vandalised more than 4,200 trees and saplings. Zionist settlers are protected by Israeli occupation forces (IOF) many of whom are settlers living in illegal settlements on stolen Palestinian land.

Earlier this week, settlers launched a violent attack in Beita, near Nablus. Al Jazeera correspondent, Mohammad Alatrash was injured while escaping the violence. Speaking of the collusion that underpins settler violence, he told the Canary:

There are clear indications that the Israeli army provides assistance to settlers, helping them complete their attacks, intervening only when there is a real threat to the settlers, and ensuring their safe withdrawal after carrying out these attacks.

According to Israel human right advocacy group Yesh Din, since 2004, 94 percent of settler violence cases were dropped without charge. This figure has sharply risen in the past two years since October 7.

Not all Palestinian victims choose to file complaints due to a lack of faith in the system, or fear of retaliation against them and their families. The true figure is likely to be higher.

ICJ ruling: Israeli occupation is illegal

Settlements, and the settlers that live in them are illegal under international law.

The Israeli regime funds these settlements, and arms the settlers who act with impunity and get away with murder. It pours millions into settlement expansion and infrastructure without any regard for international law.

In 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled Israel’s occupation of Palestine is illegal, calling for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

The occupation issued this year alone tenders for 5,667 new housing units, a record high, Israeli advocacy organisation, Peace Now, reports. Overall, 30,000 units have been approved and other controversial projects include the E1 settlement plan.

The Settlement Division of the World Zionist Organization (WZO) not only funds illegal outposts but provides them with equipment. This includes all terrain vehicles, floodlights, generators, night vision goggles and drones, to ‘protect’ from unarmed Palestinians.

UK funds sponsoring the illegal settler movement

Commenting on the material support for settlers, Israeli Minister of Finance, Bezalel Smotrich has said:

Today we are equipping these pioneers with the tools that will allow them to protect their homes, maintain the territory, and deepen our hold on the Land of Israel.

The Jewish National Fund (JNF) provides most of the WZO funding, and its UK branch is a registered charity. The Zionist Federation of Great Britain and Ireland, also facilitates WZO violations of international law, and is UK-based.

The Settlement Division directly manages huge amounts of stolen land in the West Bank on behalf of the State, without public oversight. It transfers this land to settlers, and also finances infrastructure, constructs outposts, and distributes subsidies.

Security Minister and leader of the Jewish Power Party, Ben Gvir, launched a policy of arming Israelis, in October 2023. This includes those living in settlements in the West Bank. Posting on X/Twitter last year, he said.

More than 120,000 weapons have been distributed to eligible citizens, while tens of thousands have received conditional approvals.

Ben Gvir has made it easier for Israelis to obtain personal firearm licenses, particularly since  October 2023, along with body armour and helmets. Ben Gvir has said the policy will allow “law-abiding citizens to defend themselves and their community”.

But arming colonial settlers further threatens the lives of Palestinians, and will only sustain these attacks.

Time for government’s to act

Israel’s military and settlers work hand-in-hand, forcibly displacing Palestinians from their land through intimidation, abuse, and terror. Their ethnic cleansing of Palestinian territories is integral to their supremacist state, and delusions of a “Greater Israel”.

Illegal settlers and the IOF have displaced more than 10,000 Palestinians and killed 1,060 in the West Bank, since October 2023. Systematic aggression and government-backed impunity, are erasing entire communities.

The latest surge, part of a longstanding pattern, is fuelled by deliberate system that thrives on state protection and international inaction.

And powerful allies of the Israeli occupation, such as the UK, continue to enable these crimes UK institutions, including British banks and charities finance, continue to trade with illegal settlements — enabling these crimes.

Without accountability and decisive global intervention, these crimes will continue, deepening Palestinian suffering and eroding any prospect of justice or peace.

Featured image via Al Jazeera