On June 14, Israeli settlers torched vehicles and attempted to set fire to Al-Nour Mosque in Burqa village, east of Ramallah, and set two vehicles ablaze in Deir Dibwan, West Bank [1, 2]. Settlers broke down the mosque's doors and set fire to its entrance before fleeing the scene [1, 2]. Later that day, the Israeli military dispatched forces to several West Bank locations to disperse the riots, extinguish fires, and prevent further violence. The military condemned the attacks and vowed to maintain law and order in Judea and Samaria, as the West Bank is known [1].
On June 15, dozens of masked Israeli settlers attacked the archaeological area of al-Masoudiya in Barqa near Nablus. They wounded a Palestinian man in the hand, threw stones at a house, burned wheat fields, and damaged surrounding agricultural land [3]. Meanwhile, near Deir Abu Mashal village, Israeli soldiers protected settlers during stone-throwing clashes with Palestinians; no injuries or arrests were reported [2].
The violence intensifies against a backdrop of rising tensions since the Gaza war initiated by the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Since October 8, 2023, Israeli army and settlers have killed at least 1,169 Palestinians, wounded 12,666, arrested about 23,000, and displaced 33,000 in the West Bank [2, 3].
In May 2026 alone, the Israeli military carried out 1,108 attacks, while Israeli settlers launched 551 attacks against Palestinians and their property, according to the Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission [2]. More than 500,000 Israeli settlers now live in West Bank settlements outside East Jerusalem, where around 3 million Palestinians reside [1].
The Israeli military confirmed its presence at multiple sites to quell settler violence and restore order. The military stated, "The forces are currently operating at the various locations to disperse the riots, extinguish the fires, and prevent further friction. The security forces strongly condemn all acts of violence. The forces will continue to operate to maintain law and order in Judea and Samaria" [1].
