UN investigation: Israeli authorities involved in settler attacks in the West Bank

An international investigation committee affiliated with the United Nations confirmed that Israeli authorities bear direct responsibility for settler attacks that resulted in casualties and the displacement of Palestinian families in the West Bank. The report issued on Tuesday clarified that Israeli security forces do not merely remain silent, but rather provide field protection to settlers during their assaults.

The committee concluded in its findings that Israeli institutions enabled settler groups by providing direct financial and military support. It noted that this support comes amid a general climate of impunity, reinforced by judicial bodies and law enforcement agencies that condone violent settler practices.

The report monitored a sharp escalation in the pace of attacks on Palestinian villages and agricultural lands since the beginning of 2023, with a 130% increase recorded. These assaults included serious incidents in which masked groups participated under the watchful eyes and escort of security forces, who intervened to protect them and prevent Palestinians from defending themselves.

For its part, the Israeli mission in Geneva quickly rejected the results of the UN report, claiming that it relies on baseless allegations. The mission accused the international committee of attempting to create a moral equivalence between resistance factions and Israeli civilians, in an attempt to evade legal responsibility for the actions of settlers.

In a related context, the Israeli army claimed that its operations in the West Bank are exclusively aimed at combating terrorism and maintaining public security. The army claimed in a statement that it condemns all forms of violence, noting that any misconduct by soldiers is subject to review and internal investigation, which field human rights reports deny.

UN data indicates that last year saw the killing of seven Palestinians and the injury of more than 800 others as a result of settler attacks, which have become almost daily occurrences. The committee warned that the increasing involvement of security forces in these attacks has led to the collapse of the actual distinction between the role of the soldier and the role of the settler in the occupied territories.

The report stressed that this systematic violence is not random, but rather used as a tool to promote state policies aimed at the illegal annexation of land and the displacement of indigenous populations. The committee documented horrific cases including kidnapping and abuse of children, reflecting the brutality of officially supported settlement practices.

Among the shocking cases reported, the kidnapping of a twelve-year-old girl and her younger brother in April 2025 at gunpoint. Settlers took them to an olive grove and tied them to trees with plastic restraints, an incident that reflects the extent of intimidation faced by minors.

Former Indian judge S. Muralidhar, head of the committee, described the situation in the West Bank as 'intolerable,' stressing the urgent need to put an end to these attacks. Muralidhar called on the international community to exert real pressure on the Israeli government to dismantle settlement outposts and curb the rampant violence.

In Palestinian reactions, Wasel Abu Yousef, a member of the PLO Executive Committee, said that the report proves the extent of complicity between the occupation army and settlers. He added that arming tens of thousands of settlers with modern weapons has turned them into organized militias operating under state cover to displace and kill Palestinians.

Internationally, six Western countries, including France, Britain, and Canada, announced severe sanctions against settlers and settlement entities involved in the violence. French sanctions notably included Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who was banned from entering French territory due to his role in inciting and supporting settlements.

Currently, about 750,000 settlers live in hundreds of illegal settlements and outposts scattered throughout the West Bank and East Jerusalem. These groups continue to carry out daily attacks aimed at creating a new demographic reality, amid increasing international calls for sanctions and accountability for those responsible for these violations before international courts.

The continuous daily attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinians are intolerable and must end.