NGO counts over 10 settler attacks a day amid Iran war; 14 said hurt in latest violence

More than a dozen Palestinians were reportedly wounded in a pair of attacks by settler extremists in the northern West Bank on Wednesday overnight and Thursday, the latest in a months-long wave of settler violence that has escalated during the Iran war.

A new report by the human rights group Yesh Din said there were 257 incidents of extremist settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank in the war’s first 25 days, averaging more than 10 per day. It accused the state of supporting the violence due to what it said were minimal efforts by security services to prevent attacks or bring those responsible to justice.

The attacks included assault, damage to property, and land seizures against a total of 116 Palestinian communities. Arrests in such incidents are rare.

Yesh Din, which tracks settler violence, said that the past week has seen incidents of “mass violence” in which large numbers of settler extremists participated in assaults on dozens of Palestinian towns and villages.

According to its figures, Jewish extremists have shot dead six Palestinians since the war with Iran began. The group said that as far as it is aware, no suspects have been arrested in those incidents. The organization said its figures are based on cross-referenced public statements and reports from different sources.

“Behind the ‘dry’ figure of over 10 incidents per day, there are the Palestinian victims of violence who the security forces and law enforcement authorities have completely abandoned, and who remain defenseless and devoid of justice,” Yesh Din said in a statement.

The organization condemned what it called state inaction in the face of a surge in settler violence last Saturday night and Sunday, in which dozens of attacks took place across Palestinian towns, with property torched and residents injured. The violence erupted after Yehuda Sherman, an 18-year-old settler, was killed in a collision between his ATV and a Palestinian vehicle. Authorities are investigating the crash as a potential terrorist act.

“The pogroms we saw last week, in which dozens and perhaps even hundreds of people participated, received minimal enforcement activity from the authorities — both in advance preparation [for the attacks], during the disturbances and in law enforcement afterwards,” Yesh Din said. “All of these point to a systematic policy of state support for violence and, in fact, of support for expulsion and ethnic cleansing.”

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has repeatedly condemned settler violence, but army forces have often done little to stop such attacks when present at the scene. And the police, who are responsible for law enforcement, have rarely made arrests.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly held an emergency discussion over settler violence with security chiefs last week, following US pressure over the issue.

Israel’s envoy to the US, Yechiel Leiter, himself a longtime settler, said on Wednesday that the violence was a “stain” on the nation and that he was “so angry about the issue of Jewish riots in Judea and Samaria,” the biblical term for the West Bank.

BREAKING: Israeli settlers are carrying out a pogrom right now in the village of Tayasir in the West Bank, opening fire on civilians. Multiple people have been injured.

The situation is horrific. Residents are pleading for help. pic.twitter.com/IoauWfZMf6

— Ihab Hassan (@IhabHassane) March 26, 2026

The violence continued overnight Wednesday into Thursday. In one incident, Palestinian media outlets reported that several Palestinians were shot during a settler attack on the village of Tayasir. According to one report, seven people were wounded.

And on Thursday, Palestinian media outlets reported that seven Palestinian shepherds were injured in a settler attack in the al-Sahl area east of Tulkarm.

That attack, unusually, took place in Area A, a part of the West Bank meant to be under full Palestinian Authority control. Several of the Palestinian shepherds who were attacked were reportedly hospitalized with head injuries.

One told Palestinian media that settlers assaulted the group with clubs fitted with nails, telling them to leave, saying the land was theirs and that the flock they were grazing also belonged to them.

According to the reports, the attack led to further clashes between the sides. The Palestinian Red Crescent said it treated seven people who were beaten.

IDF forces were said to have detained one of the Palestinians at the scene after he was injured.

No arrests of Israelis were reported. The IDF did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.