Extremist Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank committed 660 incidents of “nationalistic crime” during the first half of 2026, marking a 63 percent surge, according to security establishment figures reported by Kan public broadcaster. This sharp increase from 405 attacks in the same period of 2025 has resulted in a significant rise in Palestinian casualties. Six Palestinians were killed and 140 wounded in the first six months of the year, compared to no deaths and 82 wounded in the first half of last year.
Attacks targeting Israeli security forces also saw a 50 percent increase, with 45 such incidents recorded in the first half of 2026. The reported figures do not include July, when approximately 100 additional incidents of nationalist crime were recorded, Kan stated. Settler violence has been on a consistent upward trend in recent years, particularly following the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, which is now approaching its second anniversary.
Escalating Settler Violence
Data from the Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet security agency indicates that attacks by settlers against Palestinians and Israeli security forces in the West Bank rose by 27 percent in 2025 compared with 2024. These attacks occur on a near-daily basis across the occupied territory. They largely go unchecked by authorities, with prosecutions of Jewish extremists being rare and convictions even rarer.
Critics have accused the current Israeli government, described as the most hardline in the country’s history, of effectively shrugging off these violent acts. In an attempt to address the issue, the cabinet quietly approved a plan in March of the same year. This plan included financial sanctions against violent Israeli hilltop youth, but it was not made public due to political considerations, according to Channel 13.
Impunity and State Complicity
During deliberations on the plan, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly referred to the violence against Palestinians in the West Bank as a “metastasizing cancer.” Despite this acknowledgment, the systemic impunity for settler violence persists, highlighting the dual legal system operating in the occupied territories where Palestinians face military law and settlers are subject to civil law with minimal enforcement against their aggressions.
Meanwhile, Palestinian resistance actions, including knifings, shootings, and car-rammings, saw a decrease in 2025, continuing a downward trend observed in recent years. The IDF recorded 57 Palestinian attacks in 2025, resulting in 20 deaths. Two soldiers were also killed in an attack carried out by a Jordanian at the Allenby Bridge Crossing in September, less than one year ago. In 2024, the military counted 258 Palestinian attacks with 35 deaths, and in 2023, 847 attacks with 41 deaths.
The Reality of Occupation
The Israeli army attributed the decrease in Palestinian attacks to “sustained offensive activity” in areas considered hotspots of resistance in the West Bank, specifically referencing refugee camps in the north of the territory. This ongoing military presence and activity underscore the daily reality of occupation for Palestinians, even as settler violence continues to escalate with little accountability.