Israeli settlers vandalize Palestinian property across West Bank: What we know

Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian property throughout the West Bank on Monday night, Palestinian media and an Israeli rights group said, as the security situation in the occupied territory worsens.

Settlers set fire to a car in Hajjah, located west of Nablus, and burned an agricultural structure in Turmus Ayya, northeast of the capital, Ramallah, according to WAFA, the official media outlet of the Palestinian Authority. Another attack occurred in Far’ata southwest of Nablus, WAFA reported.

The Israeli human rights organization Yesh Din reported that several settler attacks occurred on Monday night, including in Turmus Ayya as well as Immatain and al-Funduq. The latter two are located close to Far’ata.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military said it carried out a raid in the northwest town of Tammun on Tuesday. The military opened fire on a group of armed individuals who had shot at them, killing two. It also conducted arrests and confiscated weapons, according to a statement.

The Israeli military added that it killed an assailant in Taluza, northeast of Nablus.

WAFA reported that two Palestinian men were killed by Israeli shelling in Tammun, while another was killed by Israeli forces in al-Badhan, northeast of Nablus. Israel has been conducting a raid in Tammun and in the nearby Fara’a refugee camp since early morning on Tuesday, using drones and destroying infrastructure, according to the outlet.

The Fara’a refugee camp was also the site of a large Israeli raid in August.

Why it matters: Tensions have been escalating in the occupied West Bank since the war in Gaza began in October 2023. Israeli military raids, settler attacks on Palestinians and Palestinian attacks on Israelis are regular occurrences. On Monday, three Israelis were killed in a shooting attack on a car and bus near the settlement of Kedumim, located west of Nablus.

In December, Palestinian security services began a series of raids targeting armed groups in Jenin. The raids followed clashes breaking out in early December after the arrest of several militants, according to Agence France-Presse.

Various armed groups operate in the West Bank, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, as well as smaller ones. The Palestinian Authority has limited control over parts of the West Bank. Hamas is a main rival of Fatah, the Palestinian party that leads the Palestinian Authority.

Know more: The Palestinian Authority ordered Al Jazeera to temporarily shut down its offices in Ramallah last week. The move was prompted by the Qatari state media outlet’s critical coverage of the Jenin raids, an Al-Monitor correspondent reported on Monday.