Several Palestinians injured in apparent settler attacks on multiple West Bank villages
Khirbet Humsa residents say some 30 settlers beat locals and activists, no arrests reported; footage appears to show settlers firing gun into town, burning down chicken coop
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Israeli settlers carried out several attacks on Palestinian villages in the West Bank Thursday night and Friday, as residents of one village said that some 30 settlers descended on the community and assaulted locals and volunteers, wounding several.
A resident of Khirbet Humsa, a Palestinian village in the northern West Bank, who asked not to be named, said the settlers were armed with clubs, and they handcuffed 14 local men and volunteers.
Another, also speaking on the condition of anonymity, said four residents were severely beaten and were taken to the hospital in Nablus.
In addition, two international volunteers were also assaulted.
According to the residents’ testimonies, two of the locals were beaten in intimate areas of their bodies, and the settlers stole around 350 head of livestock.
There were no immediate reports of arrests, though Israel Police said it had begun an investigation into the incident, adding that it and the military “strongly condemn incidents of violence and crime and will continue to act to maintain the security of the residents and order in the area.”
עדויות: 30 מתנחלים תקפו הלילה את חומסה שבצפון בקעת הירדן והכו קשות תושבים ומתנדבים, 4 פונו לבית חולים.
תושב האזור שביקש שלא לומר את שמו אמר לי כי המתנחלים שהיו מצויידים באלות הגיעו ואזקו 14 גברים תושבי המקום (בכל הגילאים) ומתנדבים. תושב חומסה שביקש שלא לומר את שמו הוסיף כי 4… pic.twitter.com/Ke4HxzvLSb— Nurit Yohanan (@nurityohanan) March 13, 2026
Later Friday, footage circulating on social media showed armed settlers inside the Palestinian village of Sa’ir near the southern West Bank city of Hebron.
In the video, two were seen pointing their weapons toward Palestinians, and one of them was seen firing.
No injuries were reported from the gunfire.
Additional footage showed soldiers arriving at the scene and speaking with the settlers, who were later seen leaving the area.
There were no reports of arrests made and the IDF did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
עוד יום רגיל ביו"ש שבו אזרחים ישראלים מתועדים בתוך הכפר סעיר באזור חברון, שניים שולפים נשק לעבר פלסטינים ואחד מהם יורה. לא ידוע על נפגעים מהירי. כוח צה"ל נראה מגיע למקום, משוחח איתם ולאחר מכן הם עוזבים. מצה"ל טרם נמסרה תגובה pic.twitter.com/Xayz2Pfqbj
— Nurit Yohanan (@nurityohanan) March 13, 2026
Additionally, Palestinian media outlets reported that settlers set fire to a chicken coop in the village of Rashayida, in the Bethlehem area of the West Bank.
The coop was burned down, and footage indicated that dozens of chickens died.
zionist jewish settlers burn large chicken barracks in the village of Al Rashaydeh, northern of the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem.. pic.twitter.com/V8us03oosl
— Motasem A Dalloul (@AbujomaaGaza) March 13, 2026
Prosecutions in the spate of near-daily settler attacks in the West Bank are rare, and convictions are even rarer. Critics have accused the government, said to be the most right-wing in Israel’s history, of shrugging off the attacks. The police force is under the authority of National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, a far-right politician.
Settler violence has risen sharply since the Hamas-led onslaught of October 7, 2023, in southern Israel, according to the United Nations. And Israeli human rights group Yesh Din has reported a spike in settler violence amid the war in Iran that began on February 28, with some 50 incidents recorded in the first four days of the conflict.
Five Palestinians have been killed by settlers this year, and 41 since the October 7 attack, according to Palestinian media.
Data published by the IDF and Shin Bet security agency in January showed a 27 percent rise in settler attacks in 2025 compared to the previous year.
The Times of Israel Community.