Attacks by settlers in the occupied West Bank, which has in recent years seen unprecedented settler expansion, are increasingly forcing the displacement of Palestinian communities.
New Human Rights Watch research finds that settler violence spiked in March and April 2026, with killings, including of children, as well as assaults, sexual violence, physical and mental abuse, arbitrary detention, arson, property destruction, and theft. The attacks occurred during the United States and Israel’s war with Iran, but the rising trend has been clear since Israel’s current government took office in 2022.
The Israeli government shares a goal with the settlers: maximum land and minimum Palestinians. Israeli authorities are arming, funding, and granting impunity to the violent settlers responsible for these escalating deadly abuses, while attacks by armed settlers often occur alongside Israeli army units or with soldiers standing by.
HRW investigated settler attacks in seven Palestinian West Bank communities. We spoke to 20 witnesses and reviewed videos and CCTV footage of multiple incidents.
The Israeli military has not replied to questions from Human Rights Watch about the attacks.
Under the current Israeli government, settlers have established 248 new outposts in the West Bank. These outposts, which often serve as launching pads for attacks, are illegal under international humanitarian law.
The attacks and lack of state protection have created a coercive environment that leaves many Palestinians saying they have no choice but to leave their homes.
“I have known war in this region for all my life, but never like this,” said Um Muhammad Muammar, 72, a resident of Qaryut whose two sons were killed by settlers. “My sons’ children are now fatherless; their wives are now widows. What more can we say?”
>> Read the full report here
