Over 100 'Israeli' settlers attack West Bank village

• Over 100 'Israeli' settlers raided Jalud and torched two homes, preventing a Palestinian family from reclaiming court-restored property.
• Settler assaults left three 'Israeli' Border Police officers and three Palestinians injured, alongside multiple family members pepper-sprayed.
• Concurrent attacks hit Al-Mughayyir, Beitunia, and Jamala, involving home invasions, arson, and beatings.
• Top 'Israeli' leadership and the US State Department condemned the attacks; security forces arrested only two suspects.

Over 100 'Israeli' settlers mounted a coordinated raid Tuesday against the village of Jalud, south of Nablus in the northern occupied West Bank, blocking roads, setting fires, and clashing with 'Israeli' security forces.

The incident occurred as security personnel arrived to escort the Tubasi family back to two homes they were forced to vacate more than two months ago following earlier attacks by settlers.

The latest assault ultimately prevented the family's return.

According to 'Israeli' military statements and local Palestinian accounts, settlers blocked access roads, set tires, homes, and vehicles on fire, and hurled rocks at responding forces.

Tubasi family incidents 

Mahmoud Tubasi told AFP that he, his wife, and his son drove toward their residence escorted by two military vehicles.

Upon arrival, an initial group of settlers attacked the family, prompting security personnel to deploy pepper spray.

Shortly thereafter, a second group of settlers arrived at the scene, triggering broader rioting.

"We did not suffer physical injuries, but we suffered from cases of suffocation due to pepper spray," Tubasi told AFP.

The 'Israeli' military confirmed that three Border Police officers sustained light injuries during the clashes and one security vehicle was damaged.

'Israeli' police confirmed one arrest and the detention of two minors for questioning in connection with the incident.

Incidents reported in Al-Mughayyir, Beitunia, and Jamala

The attack in Jalud occurred alongside several other incidents reported across the occupied West Bank.

In the village of Al-Mughayyir, north of Ramallah, dozens of settlers from surrounding hilltop outposts torched at least five Palestinian-owned vehicles.

Local resident Fikri Abu Alia reported that settlers smashed vehicle windows and poured gasoline through his kitchen window while his three-year-old son slept inside, setting the room and feed storage spaces on fire.

"The army and the settler exchange roles; both cause the same problem. Sometimes he comes in military uniform and other times in civilian clothes. What happens here, we face daily," stated local resident Basil Abu Alia to AFP.

In Beitunia, west of Ramallah, Mayor Ribhi Dawla reported that dozens of settlers gathered with loudspeakers to perform Sukkot holiday prayers, setting up a mobile home and iron gate in the area.

In a fourth incident Tuesday evening near Jamala, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society confirmed that three Palestinians were hospitalized after being beaten by settlers during a raid on the village.

International backlash

The assault on 'Israeli' security personnel drew rare public condemnations from top state officials.

'Israeli' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who downplayed settler violence during his address to the UN General Assembly last week, 'strongly' condemned the violence directed at security forces.

"I strongly condemn the violent riots... and attacks on security forces who arrived at the scene to maintain law and order," Netanyahu stated, adding that the perpetrators "do not represent the law-abiding settler community."

'Israeli' President Isaac Herzog stated there "can be no justification whatsoever" for the settlers' actions.

Responding to inquiries regarding the Jalud attack, a US State Department spokesperson told AFP:

"We condemn criminal acts of violence committed by any party in the West Bank, and we support opening appropriate investigations and taking judicial measures against those responsible."

Since October 2023, violence across the occupied West Bank has escalated significantly.

According to Palestinian Ministry of Health figures cited by AFP, at least 1,111 Palestinians have been killed by 'Israeli' forces or settlers.

UN data indicates an average of six settler-related violent incidents were recorded daily through mid-2026.

Earlier in September 2026, 12 nations banned products originating from 'Israeli' settlements, prompting 'Israel' to revoke diplomatic clearances for British and Dutch diplomats in the occupied West Bank.

Excluding occupied East Jerusalem, approximately three million Palestinians reside in the occupied West Bank alongside over 500,000 'Israelis' living in settlements considered illegal under international law.