Aletho News

Israeli settlers attack homes, mosque in occupied West Bank

Al Mayadeen| July 19, 2026

Israeli settlers carried out a series of attacks overnight on Saturday and into Sunday morning in the occupied West Bank, setting fire to a mosque and multiple homes, stealing livestock, and assaulting residents, according to Palestinian sources. The incidents occurred in the al-Khalil and Nablus governorates, with Israeli forces reportedly protecting the assailants.

In the al-Khalil governorate, settlers attacked two homes belonging to Palestinian residents in the Wadi al-Rakhim area south of the town of Yatta. The assailants stole three heads of livestock from a pen on the property.

During the incident, Israeli forces fired live ammunition in the area, though no injuries were reported.

In the town of As-Samu, also south of Al-Khalil, armed settlers attempted to steal sheep in the Wadi Ajhish area while under the protection of Israeli troops; however, residents confronted the group and forced them to withdraw.

In the village of At-Tuwani, located in the Masafer Yatta region, settlers from the “Havat Ma’on” outpost set fire to two homes belonging to residents Kamal Musa Rab’i and Mahmoud Salman Rab’i, as well as the village mosque.

The attackers used flammable materials, causing large sections of the properties to catch fire. The settlers also smashed and vandalized additional property, including a vehicle, with Israeli forces providing security coverage during the assault.

In the Nablus governorate, settlers attacked the Dhahra area on the outskirts of the town of Beita, south of the city, assaulted residents and damaged homes and property, resulting in injuries to four people.

Separately, on Saturday, settlers attacked a young man while he was on the Jenin–Nablus road near the entrance to the town of Barqa, causing wounds to his hand.

In a related incident, settlers set fire to a resident’s home on Saturday evening. The house, which had been previously targeted in an attack, was destroyed by the fire. The home was occupied at the time of the incident.

Israeli settlers set fire to olive trees in Ramallah

Earlier, Israeli forces burned dozens of olive trees in the village of Deir Qaddis, west of Ramallah, on July 18, according to official Palestinian news reports.

The official news agency Wafa reported that forces pursued a group of Palestinian farmers while they were working on their land in the areas of Jabal al-Ras and Bir al-Asafir, south of the village, and fired bullets and toxic tear gas canisters toward them. According to the report, this caused fires to break out across wide expanses of land planted with olive trees.

Reports also stated that Israeli forces prevented civil defense crews from reaching the site of the fire to bring it under control and extinguish it, which led to the fire expanding and spreading to large areas of citizens’ land on the southern side of the village.

Deir Qaddis and the surrounding towns and villages west of Ramallah have experienced ongoing incursions by Israeli forces, alongside continued attacks by settlers targeting citizens and their property, according to Wafa.

Israeli forces are continuing to carry out incursions, violations, and simultaneous arrests in various areas of the West Bank, amid a wide military deployment and house-to-house raids, the agency reported.

July 19, 2026 - Posted by aletho | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism | Human rights, Israel, Palestine, West Bank, Zionism