9 Palestinians wounded in settler rampage in Huwara; IDF soldier seen beating man

Dozens of assailants damage property, steal livestock and set fire to auto repair shop amid clashes across West Bank; army launches investigation

By Noam Lehmann, Emanuel Fabian and ToI Staff Today, 4:10 pmUpdated at 2:36 pm

Nine Palestinians were wounded Saturday in a settler attack on the northern West Bank town of Huwara, Palestinian media reported, as footage from the scene showed masked assailants and at least one soldier beating Palestinians and damaging property, as clashes spread to nearby areas.

WAFA, the Palestinian Authority’s official news agency, said the wounded include a local councilman who was injured by shrapnel to the leg, four other people who were beaten, and another four who were tear-gassed.

Images showed that the masked settlers arrived at Huwara in pickup trucks.

The Israel Defense Forces said that soldiers and Border Police officers were dispatched to several sites in Huwara after receiving reports of “suspected theft of livestock belonging to Israeli civilians,” and to “remove the Israeli civilians and the livestock from the village and prevent confrontations in the area.”

Later, the military said, “several rioters arrived in the area of the village and violent clashes developed, including stone-throwing and the use of clubs between Israeli civilians and Palestinians.”

One surveillance video showed an Israeli soldier and a group of settlers beating two Palestinian men. The footage showed the soldier, seen in full military gear, repeatedly punching one of the Palestinians. The group was then seen leaving the area, leaving behind the two wounded Palestinians.

The military said that it was “aware of footage showing an IDF soldier using violence against a Palestinian,” and that the soldier’s actions are “serious and inconsistent with the values of the IDF.”

“Once the soldier is identified, he will be subject to disciplinary proceedings, and appropriate command and disciplinary measures will be taken in accordance with the findings,” the army said, adding that it had launched an investigation into the incident.

The IDF said the forces worked to “disperse the gatherings” using riot dispersal means.

There were no reports of arrests.

One of the Palestinians who was beaten sustained head wounds, WAFA said. Footage published by Palestinian media showed a young man lying on the road and apparently bleeding from the head as a Red Crescent medic attended to him.

According to WAFA, dozens of settlers who attacked Huwara also hurled stones at several buildings, including the municipality building; smashed the windows of multiple vehicles; and stole a car, a bicycle and about 35 sheep.

Security camera footage from Huwara, timestamped to shortly past 11 a.m., showed several hooded figures smashing a parked car. Threads of tzitzit, a Jewish ritual undergarment, can be seen dangling from under some of the attackers’ hoodies.

Additional footage circulated online showed an auto repair shop that was reportedly set ablaze near Huwara.

The police, in a statement, said it had launched an investigation into the settler attack, with officers entering the village later in the day to collect evidence.

The military said it “strongly condemns violence of any kind that harms security in the area and diverts the attention of commanders and soldiers from defense missions and counterterrorism activities,” and the police say it “views such cases of violence and damage [to property] with severity and will continue to act decisively and professionally to locate those involved, investigate them, and bring them to justice accordingly.”

Separately, WAFA reported that settlers vandalized Palestinian-owned crops in the Masoudiya area, north of the West Bank city of Nablus. Citing Dhiab Hajji, head of the Masoudiya Land Defense Committee, the report said that the settlers had released their livestock in among the crops, causing significant damage.

Clashes between settlers and Palestinians in several flashpoints across the West Bank, particularly in villages near Huwara, were also reported on Saturday.

Further footage circulating online showed large groups of religious Jewish men throwing rocks at Palestinian residents.

Critics have accused the government and law enforcement of turning a blind eye to violent attacks by settler extremists, which have become increasingly deadly in recent years and occur on a near-daily basis. Arrests are rare and prosecutions are even less common.

The military recorded 867 incidents of nationalistic crime and settler violence in 2025, compared to 682 incidents in 2024.

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