A Palestinian man, Khamis Ayyad, 40, died of smoke inhalation after Israeli settlers set fire to vehicles and homes in the town of Silwad, in the occupied West Bank. The Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that Ayyad and others had been trying to extinguish the fires when he succumbed to smoke inhalation. According to eyewitnesses, the settlers arrived by car, set fires, and then quickly escaped the area.
A relative of Ayyad’s described the scene, saying, “We woke up at 2am to see flames devouring vehicles across the neighborhood. The townspeople panicked and rushed to extinguish the fires engulfing the cars and buildings.” Raafat Hussein Hamed, a resident whose house was torched, stated that the attackers “burned whatever they could and then ran away”. He added that the settlers “come from an outpost”, referring to an Israeli settlement that violates both international and Israeli law.
The attack on Silwad is part of a surge in violence in the West Bank since the start of the Gaza war. According to the UN’s humanitarian office, at least 159 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli troops in the West Bank between January 1 and July 21 of this year. Hundreds of Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians have also been reported so far in 2025, including at least 27 incidents that resulted in casualties, property damage, or both, between July 15 and 21.
The Israeli military confirmed that several suspects set fire to property and vehicles in the Silwad area but stated that forces dispatched to the scene were unable to identify the perpetrators. Israeli police have launched an investigation into the incident. Meanwhile, observers warn that the uptick in Israeli violence aims to forcibly displace Palestinians and pave the way for Israel to formally annex the territory.
In a recent development, Israeli Justice Minister Yariv Levin and Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a joint statement that “there is a moment of opportunity that must not be missed” to exert Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank. “Ministers Katz and Levin have been working for many years to implement Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria,” the statement said, using a term used by Israeli settlers and their supporters to refer to the occupied Palestinian territory.