— Israel’s President Isaac Herzog and senior military commanders on Wednesday condemned a large, masked settler assault on Palestinian communities in the West Bank, saying the “shocking” violence in villages near Tulkarm must stop and that state authorities must act decisively to stop future attacks. The incidents on Tuesday in Beit Lid and Deir Sharaf left property burned, several Palestinians wounded and prompted arrests of Israeli suspects; officials also said soldiers clashed briefly with attackers who fled to a nearby industrial zone. The condemnations came as Israel reopened the Zikim crossing into northern Gaza after a two-month closure and as U.N. agencies warned humanitarian supplies remain insufficient.
Key takeaways
- President Isaac Herzog called the West Bank attacks “shocking and serious,” saying a small number of perpetrators had crossed a “red line” and urging decisive state action.
- The assaults on Beit Lid and Deir Sharaf on Tuesday involved dozens of masked settlers who torched vehicles and property; the army reported four Palestinians wounded and police said four Israelis were arrested.
- Authorities released three suspects; one minor remains in custody for six more days on suspicion of arson and assault, pending further investigation.
- U.N. agencies reported over 260 Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank in October, the highest monthly tally since tracking began in 2006.
- Separately, Israel reopened the Zikim crossing into northern Gaza after about two months; aid has entered Gaza since Oct. 10 through two southern and central crossings.
- The Israeli military said it killed four armed militants in southern Gaza operations and reported one fatality near Khan Younis and three deaths in Rafah during tunnel-destruction operations.
- Military leaders — including Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth — said the army will not tolerate criminal violence by a minority of settlers and that such incidents drain security resources.
Background
Settler violence in the West Bank has climbed markedly since the Gaza war began two years ago, with an especially sharp increase reported in recent months during the olive-harvest season, when farmers are most exposed. The U.N. humanitarian office recorded more incidents in October 2025 than in any month since it began systematic tracking in 2006, registering over 260 attacks that month alone. Human-rights groups and Palestinian officials long have accused the Israeli security forces of uneven enforcement that allows violent settler acts to persist; the government coalition includes ministers who are prominent supporters of the settlement movement and influence policy related to disputed areas.
Israeli forces operate across the West Bank under a mix of military and civil authorities, while the Palestinian Authority maintains limited civil control in parts of the territory. That layered authority complicates rapid responses to sudden outbreaks of communal violence and feeds disputes over accountability. International organizations, Israeli military leaders and some Israeli politicians have increasingly framed the recent escalation as a security and rule-of-law problem as well as a political one tied to settlement policy.
Main event
On Tuesday masked settlers attacked Beit Lid and Deir Sharaf, near Tulkarm, according to Palestinian residents and local monitors. Witnesses and local officials said vehicles, agricultural equipment and temporary structures were set ablaze; the Palestinian Authority’s tracking office reported dairy trucks, farmland and Bedouin shelters among the damage. Army forces moved to the scene, and the military said soldiers were later attacked near a nearby industrial zone, where settlers had fled, leaving a damaged military vehicle.
Police reported that four Israelis were arrested in connection with the violence; three were released pending further investigation and one minor has been ordered held for an additional six days on arson and assault suspicions. The army reported four Palestinians wounded in the clashes. Local residents described the attack as organized, saying assailants carried gasoline cans and tools and executed the arson in a coordinated way.
President Herzog issued a public rebuke on social media, calling the violence a breach of a red line and demanding that state authorities “act decisively to eradicate the phenomenon.” Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir echoed Herzog, saying the army will not tolerate a criminal minority that tarnishes a law-abiding public. Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth of Central Command framed the issue as an “anarchist fringe” whose actions require significant resources and divert forces from counterterrorism responsibilities.
Analysis & implications
The immediate political effect of high-level condemnations is to place public pressure on law enforcement and the government to demonstrate accountability, but structural obstacles remain. Enforcement in the West Bank is divided among military units, civilian police and political authorities; critics argue this fragmentation leads to delayed or insufficient responses when settlers attack Palestinians, especially in rural and hard-to-reach areas. That fragmentation also complicates attribution when responsibility for protection and prosecution must be split across agencies.
Strategically, recurrent settler attacks complicate Israel’s security calculus by tying manpower to containment and crowd control rather than exclusively to counterterrorism and border security tasks. Senior commanders have warned that diverting resources to handle settler violence reduces capacity to pursue other operations, particularly in a period of heightened tensions related to Gaza. For Palestinians, the pattern fuels displacement fears and undermines local economies — agriculture and livestock infrastructure were among the targets in the recent attacks.
Politically, the incidents intensify debate inside Israel over government policy toward the settlement movement. Ministers who advocate expansion and hardline approaches to territory sit in the governing coalition, and opponents say that rhetoric and policy choices can embolden violent fringes. Internationally, rising settler violence increases scrutiny from the United Nations, human-rights organizations and Western governments that call for consistent law enforcement and protection of civilians under occupation.
Comparison & data
| Metric | Reported figure |
|---|---|
| Settler attacks in West Bank (Oct. 2025) | Over 260 (U.N. humanitarian office) |
| Monthly tracking began | 2006 (U.N. records) |
The U.N. tally signals an upward trend tied to the broader regional conflict and seasonal patterns like the olive harvest, when Palestinians are more exposed in the fields. Local NGO monitoring and U.N. reporting both highlight a combination of communal escalation and enforcement gaps; comparing the October peak with earlier monthly averages points to a statistically and politically significant spike but does not alone explain the drivers — which include policy decisions, local disputes and security deployments.
Reactions & quotes
The following statements illustrate official and on-the-ground reactions and the contexts in which they were made.
“This crosses a red line — all state authorities must act decisively to eradicate the phenomenon.”
Isaac Herzog, President of Israel (ceremonial)
Herzog framed his remarks as a moral appeal and a call for unified state action, emphasizing that the acts were carried out by a small number of perpetrators but had wide social impact.
“We will not tolerate the phenomena of a minority of criminals who tarnish a law-abiding public.”
Eyal Zamir, Chief of Staff, Israeli army
Zamir’s statement positioned the military as committed to stopping settler attacks and stressed the operational burden such incidents impose on forces engaged in other missions.
“Humanitarian groups are having to stretch available stocks; demand for baby formula far outstrips supply.”
Stephane Dujarric, U.N. spokesperson
The U.N. response acknowledged Israel’s reopening of the Zikim crossing but warned that logistical gaps and restricted access continue to hamper aid distribution in Gaza.
Unconfirmed
- Claims that the attackers were part of a centrally coordinated campaign to expel Palestinians from specific areas remain under investigation and lack independent verification at this time.
- Accusations that Israeli authorities systematically provide protection or immunity to settler assailants are asserted by Palestinian officials and NGOs but have not been substantiated in every individual case presented to investigators.
- Allegations of direct funding or logistical sponsorship by particular organizations for the Tuesday attacks have been reported locally but not yet confirmed by an independent probe.
Bottom line
The Beit Lid and Deir Sharaf assaults crystallize a worrying pattern: settler violence has surged to record monthly levels, prompting rare, forceful public condemnations from Israel’s president and senior military figures. Those statements increase political pressure for accountability, but structural divisions in law enforcement and the political prominence of pro-settlement ministers complicate rapid, systemic remedies.
In parallel, humanitarian needs in Gaza remain acute despite the reopening of the Zikim crossing; U.N. agencies warn supplies — from baby formula to syringes — are fragile and could run short without expanded access. For observers on all sides, the immediate priorities are swift, transparent investigations into the West Bank incidents, protection for vulnerable civilians, and measures to ensure aid reaches those in need.
Sources
- NPR (news report summarizing events and official statements)
- U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA oPt) (U.N. humanitarian figures and analysis)
- COGAT (Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories) (official Israeli statement on humanitarian coordination)
- Associated Press (news agency photography and field reporting)