West Bank — continued terror attacks by Israeli settlers and IOF

The town of Deir Dibwan, east of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, has long suffered from settler attacks. And since 7 October 2023, these have been occurring on a weekly or sometimes even daily basis.

Settlers attempt to burn Palestinian worshippers alive at the mosque

Around 8pm on 14 June, a group of around 40 to 50 illegal settlers set fires in several areas of Deir Dibwan. When they entered the Al-Marah area, near the western entrance, they set alight residents’ vehicles. Flames engulfed parked cars and spread to nearby roadside areas, and across large areas of agricultural land. Two vehicles were burned and two others damaged in the attack.

92-year-old Yaser Saeed was inside Deir Dibwan’s Al Marah mosque near the entrance of the town. He was waiting for evening prayers when he heard a noise and looked out of the mosque window. He saw a settler, who then sprayed both the window and Saeed’s right side and face with petrol, then set it on fire. Saeed says he moved back just in time, and narrowly escaped being set alight.

West Bank — Two mosques in the same evening

Residents were quick on the scene, and helped extinguish the fires. Others helped evacuate families from homes where smoke had entered rooms. Volunteers from nearby villages, including Beitin and Rammun, also arrived to help.

While Deir Dibwan was still dealing with the aftermath, a second arson attack was reported in nearby Burqa. The village lies within the same network of villages and agricultural land affected by surrounding settlement outposts and roads.

Settlers entered Burqa and set fire to a vehicle parked near Al-Nour Mosque. They then broke down the mosque doors, and attempted to set fire to its entrance. Fortunately, residents moved quickly to contain the blaze.

Residents said the fire damaged the mosque entrance before being extinguished. The building itself was not destroyed. Worshippers were inside at the time, but the fire was brought under control by residents before it could spread further inside the mosque.

Protests over new settler outpost leads to tear-gassing Palestinians, injuring several journalists

Earlier the same day, Palestinians from the village of Deir Abu Mashal, northwest of Ramallah, were also attacked by settlers. They had rocks thrown at them as they attempted to access their land. According to the head of the village council, Jamil Musa, Israeli occupation forces provided protection for these illegal settlers.

Two days previously, settlers erected a tent on Palestinian-owned land in the village. On 16 June, when protests broke out about this new illegal outpost, Israeli occupation forces used tear gas and stun grenades to disperse Palestinians. Several journalists were injured by the occupation’s attack.

Several journalists were injured by Israeli forces' live ammunition in the Palestinian village of Deir Abu Mash'al, occupied West Bank.
Press was covering local protests led by Palestinians against a newly established settler outpost, which has cut access to agricultural land. pic.twitter.com/GEMWX1KVuM

— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) June 16, 2026

Settler attacks in the West Bank are aimed at “forcibly displacing Palestinians”

On 17 June, two more arson attacks on mosques took place, this time North of Ramallah in the Central West Bank. Settlers set fire and caused damage to the main mosque in the village of Jiljiliya, and also in Mazra’a al-Nubani. They also sprayed racist slogans on the walls, in Hebrew, which read “revenge” and “Hi, from the Hilltop Youth.”

Wafa News Agency reports that the Ministry of Religious Endowments and Affairs released a statement. It said: “This serious attack targeting places of worship violates all international laws and conventions that guarantee the protection of holy sites.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement after the settler rampage on Deir Dibwan, stating that it “strongly condemns the terrorist attack and acts of arson.” It said this violence “forms part of Israel’s systematic policy of organized settler violence and terror aimed at forcibly displacing Palestinians and undermining their steadfastness on their land.”.

Settler terror attacks against Palestinians continue to increase. In 2025, at least seven Palestinians were killed and 832 Palestinians were injured. This marks a 130 per cent increase in killings and injuries over the year 2024. This trend continues in 2026 with attacks carried out on a daily basis.

Pace of settler attacks in 2026 is highest on record

On 11 June, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that since January 2026 settler attacks resulting in casualties, property damage or both, totalled more than 1,000. These affected more than 230 communities across all parts of the West Bank. This averages six incidents every day — a rate higher than in any other year on record.

Oxfam has recently analysed UN figures. It found 1,036 Palestinians, including 225 children, had been killed by Israeli occupation forces or settlers from 2006 to the end of 2022. But from 2023 to the end of 2025, 1,244 Palestinians, including 268 children, have been killed.

Since 2020, Israeli occupation authorities have not prosecuted anyone for the deaths of Palestinian civilians. Out of over 1,100 Palestinian fatalities caused by Israeli soldiers and settlers this decade, no one has been charged or sentenced.

Featured image via Al Jarmaq