IDF says settlers raided home abandoned by Palestinians after repeated harassment; no arrests made

The military says Israeli settlers entered the home of a Palestinian family in a West Bank village overnight, which had recently been abandoned following repeated harassment.

Earlier this week, Haaretz reported that the Tobasi family in Jalud, near Nablus, had been effectively trapped for the past two weeks after two settler outposts were established nearby. A family member said the settlers had threatened to cut off their electricity.

On Wednesday, Raad Nasser, head of the Jalud village council, told The Times of Israel that the Tobasi family left their home, seemingly acceding to the days of settler harassment aimed at forcing the family to abandon their home.

The IDF says that overnight, troops and Border Police officers were dispatched to the outskirts of Jalud “following a report that Israeli civilians had entered a Palestinian home in the village.”

ניסינו להגיע היום לבית משפחת טובאסי, שהייתה נצורה בביתה למעלה משבועיים. כלואה בין שני מאחזים.

לכשעברנו ליד המאחז הראשון בליווי כח מג״ב, היוצרות התהפכו – והליווי הפך לחסימתנו עבור ״מניעת חיכוך״, תוך שהמתנחלים משוטטים בחופשיות לצד הכח.

כעבור כשעתיים צו שטח צבאי סגור לישראלים… https://t.co/tCIMPYSpJt pic.twitter.com/4kDA5KI0a4

— Matan Golan (@MatanGolanPhoto) July 22, 2026

“Upon the forces’ arrival, the house was empty, and it appeared that the Palestinian family had left the premises,” the military says in response to a query.

The military says that before the family left their home, it had been declared a closed military zone, claiming the move was aimed at “preventing harm to the family and their property and preventing the development of clashes in the area.”

“The forces continue to operate in the area at this time to enable the family to return to their home safely,” the IDF claims.

There have been multiple “incidents of home intrusions and provocations by Israeli civilians against local residents” in this part of the village, the military says, adding that recently the severity of such incidents has increased.

In light of the settler attacks, the military says Israeli forces “increased their activity in the area to prevent incidents of this kind.”

“Upon receiving any report or allegation of an attack or the arrival of Israeli civilians in the area, the forces are dispatched to the scene to restore order,” the army adds.

Despite being aware of the repeated harassment of Palestinians in the area by settlers, the army has not made any arrests and no enforcement measures have been taken against the nearby illegal outposts.