Palestinians face night of terror as Israeli attacks surge across West Bank and Jerusalem

Overnight into Tuesday, Israeli settlers and other Israelis carried out attacks across Palestinian territory, marking the latest surge of violence during the Jewish holidays of September. In the northern West Bank village of Jalud, about 150 settlers rioted, attempting to evict a displaced Palestinian family from their land. Israeli forces were unable to prevent the crowd from surrounding the home, resulting in Israeli military personnel escorting the family to safety in a military vehicle.

Three Israeli personnel were lightly injured, and two suspects were detained and transferred to civilian police custody.

In Al Mughayyir, north of Ramallah, settlers set buildings and vehicles ablaze while Israeli forces conducted a raid. Palestinians faced violence in Jerusalem as well, with large crowds of religious Jews participating in Sukkot celebrations. Footage showed an elderly Palestinian man being physically assaulted by Jewish men, who stood by and cheered on the attack.

Additionally, a Jewish man was caught on camera urinating at the entrance to the Armenian Quarter's Convent of St James, a frequent target of attacks against clergy and laity.

While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu downplayed the Jalud attack, calling it the work of a "small number of rioters," other politicians have condemned the violence. Gadi Eisenkot, a leading election candidate, described the violence as "terror and anarchy," while Ahmad Tibi, a Palestinian-Israeli politician, called it a "pogrom."

Despite criticism, senior Israeli ministers have continued to use attacks on Palestinians as part of their election campaigns. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who spearheaded the government's displacement of Palestinians, has accused Palestinian citizens of "nationalist extremism" and announced plans to "re-Judaise" parts of sovereign Israel with high Arab populations.