Dozens of masked Israeli settlers from an illegal outpost assaulted Palestinians who were harvesting olives in the southern West Bank on Saturday. The confrontation, which was captured on video, also involved the apparent theft of a vehicle, according to the Israel Defense Forces and local reports.
Footage from the incident showed the settlers dressed entirely in black as they approached the farmers. The group was seen riding on the back of a pickup truck and in a car while moving toward the Palestinian workers.
The IDF stated in a Saturday release that troops and Border Police officers were sent to the area near the Palestinian village of Sa’ir after reports of confrontations during the harvest. The military noted that a Palestinian car was vandalized during the clash. The Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that at least five Palestinians were injured in the attack.
Military personnel moved to disperse the Israeli rioters and imposed a closed military zone order to restore stability. The army clarified that this measure allowed the Palestinians to continue with their harvest despite the disruption.
Later on Saturday, the IDF received new reports and video evidence showing dozens of masked Israeli rioters arriving in the same area in vehicles. Troops were dispatched again, but the military said the settlers had already fled before the soldiers arrived on the scene.
During the second deployment, troops spotted two suspicious vehicles en route to the location and fired shots into the air. The two cars then drove away toward a nearby illegal settler outpost. An inspection revealed that one of the vehicles, which bore a Palestinian license plate, had apparently been stolen.
The IDF strongly condemned the attackers, stating that such incidents divert security forces’ attention and undermine regional stability. The military added that the violence harms the operational and counterterrorism activities of the security forces.
Violence continued on Sunday in the north of the West Bank. WAFA reported that settlers vandalized two vehicles in the town of Beita, south of Nablus. Local residents told the news agency that a gang arrived early in the morning, attacked one home, and damaged two cars belonging to a resident of the al-Harayeq neighborhood.
Settler violence has increased significantly in recent months, with few perpetrators facing charges or conviction. These attacks, which have occasionally targeted diplomats and members of the press, have sparked widespread international backlash and prompted sanctions against Israel.
On Friday, two separate incidents of settler violence resulted in three reported injuries, including a 67-year-old man. No arrests were made in either of those attacks. Israeli authorities have long faced criticism for overlooking settler violence, with some accusing them of tacitly supporting the phenomenon to reduce the Palestinian presence in the West Bank. Last month, President Isaac Herzog wrote to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, describing the violence as a moral disgrace and urging greater efforts to crack down on it.
