Escalating violence in the occupied West Bank saw a deadly Israeli settler attack on a Palestinian village on Wednesday, resulting in the deaths of three Palestinians. Dozens of Israeli settlers reportedly descended on the village of Kafr Malik, near Ramallah, setting property alight before gunfire erupted.
Palestinian authorities confirmed the three fatalities and reported that seven other Palestinians were injured by live bullets during the incident. Video footage from Kafr Malik depicted scenes of chaos, with a car and a home ablaze and residents fleeing as the sound of gunfire filled the air.
According to the Palestinian foreign ministry, settlers fired at villagers, even targeting them inside their homes during what the ministry termed a “terrorist assault.” The ministry also accused Israeli forces of hindering emergency response, claiming they prevented ambulance crews from reaching the wounded and obstructed firefighters attempting to enter the village for several hours.
Accounts of the event from the Israeli side differ. The Israeli military stated that forces dispatched to the scene found settlers and villagers engaged in stone-throwing. They claimed that several “terrorists” then opened fire and hurled stones at the soldiers, who returned fire and “identified hits.” The military also reported arresting five Israeli suspects at the scene, and one Israeli army officer was lightly wounded. Conflicting reports have emerged regarding the source of the fatal gunfire, with some accounts attributing the deaths primarily to Israeli army fire, while others suggest settlers also fired handguns.
A Pattern of Violence Across the West Bank
The attack in Kafr Malik was part of a brutal day across the West Bank. Shortly after the Kafr Malik incident, another settler attack occurred in the nearby Palestinian community of Dar Fazaa, near Taybeh. The Israeli human rights group B’Tselem documented this attack, reporting three people injured and three cars torched, providing CCTV footage showing masked men setting a car on fire and throwing stones.
Wednesday also saw other fatalities involving Israeli forces. A 15-year-old Palestinian boy, identified as Rayan Tamer Houshiyeh, was shot and killed by Israeli troops in Al-Yamoun, near Jenin, according to the Palestinian health ministry and Red Crescent, which stated he was shot in the neck. The Israeli military claimed its forces were operating in Al-Yamoun when “terrorists” threw explosives at them and approached with more, prompting forces to open fire. In a separate incident the same day, a 66-year-old woman, Zahriya Joudeh al-Obaid, was reportedly shot dead by Israeli forces during a raid on the Shu’fat refugee camp, north of occupied East Jerusalem. Her husband stated she was on their roof and posed no threat when shot.
The deaths on Wednesday follow another recent fatality in Kafr Malik itself: a 13-year-old identified as Ammar Hamayel was reportedly killed by Israeli fire in the village earlier in the week on Monday, highlighting a concerning pattern of violence in that specific location.
Escalating Settler Attacks and Settlement Expansion
The violence in the West Bank has seen a sharp increase in frequency and severity since Hamas’s attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which triggered the war in Gaza. The United Nations has recorded an alarming number of settler attacks, with 487 incidents resulting in casualties or property damage in the first four months of 2024 alone. This includes 122 attacks in April, where at least 181 Palestinians were reportedly injured by settlers. Human rights organizations and witnesses frequently report that the Israeli military and police often appear to stand by or even actively protect settlers during these attacks.
The broader context of settlement expansion also contributes to rising tensions. Israel has built about 160 settlements housing some 700,000 Jews since occupying the West Bank and East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war. These areas, along with Gaza, are land Palestinians seek for a future state. An estimated 3.3 million Palestinians live alongside the settlers in the West Bank. The vast majority of the international community considers these settlements illegal under international law, a position supported by an advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) last year, although Israel disputes this.
Settlement expansion has also accelerated significantly since the current Israeli right-wing, pro-settler governing coalition, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, took office in late 2022. According to the Israeli anti-settlement watchdog Peace Now, this government has decided to establish 49 new settlements and initiate the legalisation process for seven previously unauthorised settler outposts. Last month, Israeli ministers approved 22 new settlements across the West Bank, stating this move “prevents the establishment of a Palestinian state that would endanger Israel.”
International Concern and Calls for Action
Palestinian Vice-President Hussein al-Sheikh strongly condemned the violence, writing on X that the “settler violence and rampage, under the protection of the occupation army, is a political decision by the Israeli government, implemented by the settlers.” He warned that the Israeli government’s actions were “pushing the region toward an explosion” and called on the international community to urgently intervene to protect the Palestinian people.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has also expressed alarm regarding the “wave of renewed violence” by Israeli settlers and armed forces. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk has called for Israel to immediately cease all settlement activities, evacuate settlers, stop the forcible transfer of Palestinians, and prevent and punish attacks by its security forces and settlers.
Since October 7, 2023, at least 941 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the West Bank, according to figures from the Palestinian health ministry. The UN puts the number at least 949. Over the same period, at least 35 Israelis have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations, according to Israeli figures. The increase in deaths comes as Israeli forces have intensified their raids across the territory, stating they are trying to stem deadly Palestinian attacks on Israelis. Large-scale military incursions in areas like the northern West Bank, including a January operation, have resulted in significant destruction and displacement, affecting at least 40,000 people who were reportedly told not to return to their homes for a year.
