Settlers reportedly rob Palestinian restaurant near Nablus, set it ablaze

Assailants said to steal cash, video shows charred interior of eatery; settlers also reportedly run over and pepper-spray residents of West Bank Bedouin community, ATV driver nabbed

By Nurit Yohanan 5 July 2026, 12:08 pm
Edit
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google

Nurit Yohanan is The Times of Israel's Palestinian and Arab world correspondent

Palestinian men inspect the aftermath inside a restaurant after it was burned down by settlers during an attack in the western area of the Al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya village, south of Nablus, in the West Bank on on July 5, 2026. (Photo by JAAFAR ASHTIYEH / AFP)
Palestinian men inspect the aftermath inside a restaurant after it was burned down by settlers during an attack in the western area of the Al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya village, south of Nablus, in the West Bank on on July 5, 2026. (Photo by JAAFAR ASHTIYEH / AFP)

Settlers reportedly broke into a restaurant near the West Bank city of Nablus and stole cash before setting it on fire, completely destroying it overnight Saturday-Sunday.

The restaurant’s owner, who also serves as the head of the Lubban ash-Sharqiya village council, Yaqub Oweis, told the Palestinian news agency Wafa that the damage is estimated at around NIS 1 million (approximately $330,000).

Footage shows people inspecting the charred insides of the eatery, which appears to be entirely destroyed.

Elsewhere in the West Bank, settlers arrived at a family’s home in the Masafer Yatta region, harassed them, and cut their electricity line, Wafa reported on Sunday.

Palestinian media also reported that settlers arrived at a Bedouin community near Khan al-Ahmar, east of Jericho, on Friday evening. According to footage from the scene, settlers deliberately rammed several residents and sprayed pepper spray at others. Several people were reportedly lightly injured.

Separate footage published later shows police arriving at the scene. According to the reports, officers arrested several residents and detained the ATV driver.

A security official said the ATV driver and a suspect accused of spraying pepper spray remain in custody.

Settler attacks on Palestinians take place on a daily basis in the West Bank, often with the tacit approval or active participation of IDF soldiers, including settlers tasked with protecting their own communities as part of the IDF reserves.

Attacks regularly take place on Friday nights and Saturdays, during the Jewish Shabbat rest day, even though many of the alleged perpetrators are religious.

The attacks, which have spiked since the Hamas-led onslaught of October 7, 2023, are rarely prosecuted. However, six teenagers were indicted Friday on terror charges for allegedly attacking Palestinians in the Ramallah area earlier this month, including setting fire to a mosque with worshipers inside.

Most Popular
read more:
If you’d like to comment, join
The Times of Israel Community.
JOIN THE TOI COMMUNITY
Join The Times of Israel Community
Commenting is available for paying members of The Times of Israel Community only. Please join our Community to comment and enjoy other Community benefits.
Please use the following structure: example@domain.com
Confirm Mail
Thank you! Now check your email
You are now a member of The Times of Israel Community! We sent you an email with a login link to . Once you're set up, you can start enjoying Community benefits and commenting.