Settlers said to torch car, steal phones and beat Palestinians in West Bank attacks

Palestinian media share footage of man in ambulance after reported attack near Bethlehem on at least five Palestinians; assailants said to steal cellphones, damage property

By Nurit Yohanan
  • Nurit Yohanan is The Times of Israel's Palestinian and Arab world correspondent
 17 May 2026, 12:54 pm
Left to right: A vehicle allegedly torched by settlers near Hebron, overnight May 16-17, 2026; graffiti reading 'Revenge' from the same location; a Palestinian man wrapped in bandages after an alleged settler attack near Bethlehem, May 17, 2026. (All photos from social media, used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

Palestinian media outlets on Sunday reported a series of attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians, including incidents of theft, assault, arson, and graffiti.

Settlers attacked at least five Palestinians near the villages of Marah Rabah and Beit Fajjar in the Bethlehem area on Sunday morning, according to the reports.

Footage showed a Palestinian man with a head injury inside an ambulance.

According to WAFA, the Palestinian Authority’s official news service, the settlers entered Marah Rabah and began damaging property and beating residents.

The report said the settlers stole several cellphones and damaged others.

There was no immediate comment from law enforcement.

Overnight Saturday-Sunday, Palestinian media outlets reported that settlers set fire to a vehicle in the village of Beit Ummar, near Hebron.

Footage from the scene showed graffiti reading “revenge” in Hebrew, alongside a Star of David.

No injuries were reported in the arson.

The latest attacks came amid an ongoing wave of violence by extremist settlers against Palestinians, often launched from illegal outposts whose establishment has surged in recent years.

The violence has drawn condemnation from many leading figures in the settlement movement, and senior officers in the military and defense establishment have urged stronger action against it.

In practice, the incidents occur on a near-daily basis. Arrests are rare and prosecutions rarer.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report. 

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