Who are the violent Israeli settlers in the West Bank?

Israeli settlers in the West Bank have been perpetrating a surge of violent attacks against Palestinians in recent years, despite insufficient condemnation from Israeli officials. Following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, the world's focus shifted away from the West Bank, but the situation has only worsened. Israeli settlers have committed a range of violent acts, from daily harassment and trespassing to major mob assaults, such as the one that recently occurred in the village of Jalud and left a Palestinian family stranded and unable to return home.

The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has downplayed the issue, referring to settlers as "juvenile delinquents" and blaming the Jalud attack on a "handful of rioters." However, human rights organizations have documented a record level of Israeli settler violence in the West Bank, making everyday life "untenable" for over 3 million Palestinians living there.

The Israeli settlements are illegal, yet they continue to expand, particularly ahead of Israel's elections later this month. A militant Jewish group known as the Hilltop Youth, with the backing of some Israeli cabinet ministers, has escalated a campaign of ethnic cleansing. Young militants have been involved in the violence, and the Wall Street Journal's Feliz Solomon has reported on their role in worsening settler violence.

The violence is characterized by a spectrum of actions, ranging from daily harassment to extreme physical assaults. Israeli settlers often go into Palestinian areas where they are not supposed to be, leading to mob violence, property destruction, and the rape of Palestinian women. Israeli officials have largely dismissed the problem, focusing instead on Palestinian violence.