Israeli President, Army Chief Denounce ‘Shocking’ Settler Attacks in Occupied West Bank

In the occupied West Bank village of Beit Lid near Tulkarem, dozens of masked Israeli settlers launched a violent arson attack on November 12, 2025, targeting Palestinian-owned industrial sites and farmland, in what has escalated into a surge of settler aggression amid fragile regional ceasefires. The assailants set fire to four dairy trucks at the Al-Junaidi Dairy factory compound, along with agricultural fields, tin shacks, and tents belonging to a nearby Bedouin community, before clashing with Israeli soldiers dispatched to the scene. Four Palestinians were wounded in the assault, which damaged a military vehicle as settlers fled to an adjacent industrial zone, prompting arrests of four Israelis by police and the Israel Defence Forces (IDF). This incident, part of a broader pattern of daily violence since the onset of the Gaza war in October 2023, has drawn rare condemnation from Israeli leadership, highlighting the growing impunity of extremist fringes in the settlements.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog, in a strongly worded social media statement on November 13, decried the attacks as "shocking and serious," attributing them to a "handful" of perpetrators who had "crossed a red line" by targeting civilians and even IDF personnel. Herzog, whose largely ceremonial role often positions him as a moral voice for national unity, called on all state authorities to act decisively to eradicate the phenomenon, adding weight to previously muted official responses. Echoing this, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, during a visit to a West Bank military drill, stated that the army "will not tolerate criminal behaviour" by a minority that tarnishes the law-abiding public, vowing to redirect resources from counterterrorism to curbing such anarchy. Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth similarly labelled the violence "intolerable", noting it diverts critical forces from security operations against Palestinian militants.

The U.S. has voiced growing concern that escalating settler violence could jeopardise the fragile Gaza ceasefire, brokered under President Donald Trump's 20-point peace plan and holding since January 2025 despite repeated violations. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking to reporters on November 13, acknowledged "some concern" that West Bank unrest might spill over and undermine Gaza stability, though he expressed optimism that it would not derail progress, praising Herzog and IDF condemnations as positive steps. This follows a U.N. report documenting October 2023 as the worst month for settler attacks since 2006, with 264 incidents causing casualties or property damage, disproportionately affecting children—one in five Palestinian fatalities in the West Bank this year. Palestinian residents of Beit Lid, surveying charred vehicles and ruined livelihoods, expressed fears of living under constant threat, accusing Israeli forces of inadequate intervention.

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As the international community urges accountability, with prosecutions of settlers remaining exceedingly rare amid allegations of political favouritism, this episode underscores the deepening rifts in the occupied territories. Human rights groups, including Palestinian and Israeli organisations, have long criticised the military's perceived complicity in enabling such assaults, which coincide with the annual olive harvest and land grabs. While the Gaza truce has allowed limited returns of displaced families and aid flows, sustained West Bank calm is seen as essential for advancing Phase Two negotiations toward Palestinian self-determination. Herzog's and Zamir's rebukes, though symbolic, signal potential for stricter enforcement, but residents and analysts warn that without systemic reforms, the cycle of reprisals risks broader escalation.

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