The Israeli military has detained six settlers in the occupied West Bank overnight after they allegedly attacked security forces. According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the suspects were driving towards a closed military zone near the Palestinian village of Kafr Malik, where settlers had set fire to homes and vehicles in an attack that killed three people, as per Palestinian officials.
When Israeli forces approached the group, they were physically assaulted and verbally abused, with the suspects also vandalizing and damaging the security forces’ vehicles and attempting to ram them.
The IDF condemned the violence, stating, “The IDF and Israel Police condemn any act of violence against security forces and will act firmly against any attempt to harm security personnel carrying out their duty to protect Israeli citizens.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for a thorough investigation and for those responsible to be brought to justice, emphasizing that “these individuals are a small minority who do not represent the vast majority of settlers, who respect the law and serve in the IDF and the security forces.”
Other Israeli politicians also condemned the settler attacks. Head of the opposition Yair Lapid described the extremists as “dangerous criminals who are aiding our enemies.” Yair Golan, the head of the left-wing Democrats party, criticized the violence from “the Kahanist, nationalist, and fantastic Israel” for deliberately working to dismantle the Jewish and democratic Israel.
Golan referenced Meir Kahane, an extremist rabbi whose political party was banned in Israel under anti-terror laws, saying, “This is not a marginal occurrence. This is a dangerous current that has taken deep roots. Even around the government table,” referring to far-right ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.
The Palestinian Authority presidency’s spokesman, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, held Israel fully responsible for “the consequences of this bloody aggression,” stating that the settler attacks are part of a plan by Israel’s “extremist right-wing government” to drag the West Bank into a larger confrontation.
Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are considered illegal under international law, with Peace Now, an Israeli non-governmental organization, describing Israel’s recent approval of a massive expansion of settlements as de facto annexation of large swaths of the territory.
The incident is part of a broader escalation of tensions in the West Bank, with Israel ramping up military operations alongside its offensive in Gaza and attacks on Iran and its proxies.
This has led to the displacement of thousands of Palestinians and the razing of entire communities, targeting what Israel says are militants operating in the territory. Earlier this week, Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian teenager in the West Bank, with the Israeli military claiming that “terrorists hurled explosive devices at IDF forces”.