Dozens of masked settlers carried out an arson attack on the Palestinian village of Beit Furik, near Nablus, on Saturday, setting fire to several buildings and a vehicle, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The attack followed reports of a Palestinian stealing a herd of sheep and assaulting an Israeli man.
The military said that after the alleged theft and attack, a violent confrontation ensued between the settlers and Palestinians in Beit Furik, which involved stone-throwing. IDF troops and Border Police were dispatched to the scene, using riot control measures to disperse the crowd. No injuries were reported, and no arrests have been made.
The IDF suspects that the attackers came from the Itamar settlement, which has been linked to far-right Israeli groups. The military condemned the violence, stating it would continue to take action to maintain security in the region.
This incident is part of a broader pattern of settler violence, which has escalated since the October 7 Hamas massacre. Settler violence has surged, particularly during the olive harvest season, which the UN has described as “the most dangerous” for farmers. Israeli authorities have been criticized for their failure to prosecute Jewish settlers involved in such attacks, with rights groups noting that most cases are dismissed or go unpunished.
Since last October, the IDF has arrested over 5,200 Palestinians in the West Bank, including more than 2,000 affiliated with Hamas. In the same period, 41 Israelis, including security personnel, have been killed in attacks in Israel and the West Bank.