Settlers attack IDF soldiers, try to ram them amid riot in West Bank village; 6 detained
Military says Israeli assailants hurled rocks at troops responding to violence in Kafr Malik, scene of a deadly settler rampage days earlier
A group of several dozen Israelis attacked IDF reserve soldiers while rampaging in the West Bank between late Friday and early Saturday morning, in the latest act of settler violence.
The Israel Defense Forces said Saturday that the attackers also attempted to ram the soldiers with a car.
The reservists and police were dispatched to Kafr Malik near Ramallah on Friday evening due to fresh rioting there. The area was declared a closed military zone due to a deadly settler attack there on Wednesday.
When the troops arrived on the scene they were attacked by the settlers, the military said.
According to Hebrew media reports, the Israeli assailants beat, choked and hurled rocks at the troops.
The settlers also slashed the tires of a police cruiser, the Kan public broadcaster said.
Several of the soldiers were lightly hurt in the attack, for which six suspects were detained.
“Upon the arrival of the forces, dozens of Israeli civilians hurled stones toward them and physically and verbally assaulted the soldiers, including the battalion commander,” the IDF said, adding that the assailants “vandalized and damaged security forces’ vehicles, and attempted to ram them.”
The troops used “riot dispersal means” to clear the gathering, and six suspects were detained and handed over to the police.
“The IDF and Israel Police condemn any act of violence against security forces and will act firmly against any attempt to harm security personnel carrying out their duty to protect Israeli citizens,” the statement added.
Security sources quoted by the Ynet news site said the settlers likely came from a newly established illegal outpost in the area.
Hours earlier, Palestinian news sites published footage showing what they said were armed settlers expelling Palestinian farmers from their fields belonging to the village of Shuqba, also near Ramallah.
سلاحٌ مقابل لا شيء … هنا صاحب الأرض، هنا من لا يهاب صوت الرصاص، هنا من هو هنا، إلا أنت.”
تصدّى أهالي قرية شقبا غرب رام الله لهجمات مستوطنين إسرائيليين pic.twitter.com/24umcV8Onf
— Tamer | تامر (@tamerqdh) June 27, 2025
The latest violence came after a deadly settler rampage in Kafr Malik on Wednesday for which five suspects were detained, before being released the next day without charge.
Saudi Arabia on Friday condemned the recent spate of settler attacks, including in Kafr Malik on Wednesday. A statement from the Saudi foreign ministry said the attacks were taking place “under the protection of the occupation forces.”
“The Kingdom reiterates its condemnation of the continued Israeli violence against unarmed civilians in Gaza, including the targeting of civilian sites housing displaced persons,” the statement added.
The Kafr Malik rampage was also denounced by the United Arab Emirates, whose foreign minister “warned against the continuous assaults by settlers, and called on the Israeli government to assume full responsibility, condemn these hostile practices and hold the perpetrators accountable.
“The UAE stressed that failure to act will be seen as tacit approval that will only further deepen the cycle of hatred, racism and instability,” the statement added.
Settler attacks on Palestinians throughout the West Bank have been taking place on a near-daily basis with almost complete impunity, in what has sparked mounting sanctions from Western governments.
The head of the Israel Police’s West Bank division is currently under investigation for ignoring settler violence to curry favor in the eyes of National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. He was allowed to return to his post, despite the ongoing investigation.
The Times of Israel Community.