Settler groups and Israeli authorities say many Palestinian hamlets in the West Bank were built without permits and are illegal. Some of them were established in areas later declared military zones, archaeological sites or nature reserves and demolished. Israeli and Palestinian rights groups say the overarching aim is to forcibly expel Palestinian residents from parts of the West Bank.
Pro-settler groups and some far-right Israeli politicians are pushing for the formal annexation of settlements in the West Bank to Israel.
Settlers have attacked Palestinians in the past, but the current level of violence is unprecedented in frequency and intensity, rights groups say. “The moment the war in Gaza started, settlers knew they had an opportunity because no one was looking,” said Dror Sadot, a spokeswoman for B’Tselem.
Settler attacks have nearly doubled since Oct. 7 to an average of five a day, resulting in the killing of eight Palestinians, the U.N. said. In nearly half of the attacks, Israeli forces accompanied or supported the settlers, it added. A spokesman for Israel’s military said soldiers were required to intervene to stop violations by Israelis against Palestinians or their property and that, should soldiers fail to adhere to orders, they would be disciplined.
~ Margherita Stancati, "Palestinians in West Bank Flee After Settler Violence: ‘We Were Forced to Leave’Since the start of the war in Gaza, around 1,000 Palestinians living in the West Bank have left their homes," The Wall Street Journal, December 3, 2023
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