West Bank violence escalates as Israeli military and settlers injure Palestinians

Israeli soldiers and settlers wounded several Palestinians in a series of separate attacks across the occupied West Bank, according to security sources and local reports.

In the town of ad-Dhahiriya, southwest of Hebron, Israeli forces fired live ammunition and rubber bullets during a raid that left multiple people injured, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.

Violence also broke out in the village of Khirbet Susiya, where local sources said dozens of settlers attacked residents and wounded four Palestinians. The attackers reportedly set fire to six structures and a vehicle.

In Masafer Bani Na’im, settlers allegedly raided a home, stole sheep, and vandalized a car. Meanwhile, Israeli forces entered the town of Sinjil, where they raided homes, assaulted residents, and damaged private property.

To the north near Jenin, Israeli authorities began demolishing a building and several shops located at the entrance to the village of Anza.

Violence in the West Bank has surged since October 2023, according to United Nations data. At least 1,094 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli military or settlers during that period.

A recent report from the U.N. Human Rights Council warned that Israeli policies may be designed to permanently displace Palestinian communities, raising international concerns over potential "ethnic cleansing."

The escalating violence in the West Bank has moved beyond isolated incidents, coalescing into a systematic pattern of aggression that mirrors the intensity of the conflict in Gaza. Of particular concern to international observers is the increasing synergy between regular military operations and settler activity. Reports indicate that civilian settlers frequently act under the direct protection of Israeli security forces, a dynamic that effectively blurs the line between state-sanctioned maneuvers and vigilante violence. This suggests a coordinated strategic objective rather than a series of spontaneous or random confrontations.

The severity of the situation has prompted the United Nations to employ the term "ethnic cleansing," reflecting a deep-seated international alarm. The strategic use of home demolitions, physical assaults, and persistent harassment appears aimed at the permanent displacement of Palestinian populations from their land. Such actions represent a direct assault on the foundational principles of future peace negotiations, specifically jeopardizing the viability of a two-state solution.

The international community's response—and specifically the stance of the United States—remains the critical variable. Washington’s policy toward settlement expansion and settler violence serves as the primary barometer for diplomatic pressure on Tel Aviv. The current perceived lack of a forceful deterrent from Western powers is increasingly interpreted as tacit approval, potentially emboldening further escalations. Without a more assertive diplomatic intervention, this trajectory threatens not only to deepen the humanitarian crisis but to ignite a broader regional conflagration across an already fractured Middle East.