A surge of violent attacks by Israeli settlers targeted Palestinian communities across the occupied West Bank this week, resulting in multiple casualties and significant property damage. The agricultural town of Samu, south of Hebron, witnessed particularly brutal assaults late Monday when masked settlers from the nearby Susya settlement stormed residential areas.
The Daghameen family home was forcibly entered by settlers who physically assaulted several family members. Three injured Palestinians required medical transfer to a nearby healthcare facility for treatment. Surveillance footage documented the aftermath, revealing shattered windows, broken doors, and household items scattered in disarray.
In a particularly disturbing development, attackers breached the family’s livestock pen where they systematically beat and shot multiple sheep to death. This incident marks the second time the Daghameen property has been targeted by settler violence. Video evidence captures settlers using long, sharp objects to batter the animals.
This attack forms part of a broader pattern of violence across the territory. Similar incidents were reported in Aqraba and Khirbet Yanoun south of Nablus, where settlers attempted to seize Palestinian-owned land under Israeli military protection. Additional raids occurred in Beit Dajan and Beit Furik east of Nablus, where settlers used tractors to destroy extensive agricultural areas.
The escalation occurs amid alarming statistics documenting violence against Palestinians. Over the past two years, more than 1,000 West Bank Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers. According to the Colonisation and Wall Resistance Commission, November alone witnessed approximately 2,144 attacks against Palestinian civilians and property—1,523 perpetrated by soldiers and 621 by settlers.
Since the beginning of Israel’s Gaza offensive, the commission estimates roughly 40,000 Israeli violations have been committed against West Bank Palestinians. Rights organizations note that recent attacks during the olive harvest season appear strategically designed to disrupt ordinary Palestinian life and force communities from their homes and farms.