ALWAGHT- Armed Israeli settlers set fire to vehicles in Deir Dibwan, in the West Bank, amid a wider surge in settler violence and Israeli legislative efforts toward formal annexation of the territory.
Before dawn on Friday, armed Israeli settlers raided the Palestinian town of Deir Dibwan near Ramallah, setting fire to three civilian vehicles in what locals described as an effort to drive Palestinians from their land. Residents confronted the attackers, forcing them to flee. The assault occurred amid a surge in settler and Israeli military violence across the West Bank, coinciding with the olive harvest season and Israeli legislative moves toward formal annexation of the territory.
According to humanitarian and monitoring organizations, settler violence has sharply escalated in recent months. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) recorded 71 settler attacks in a single week in October, many targeting farmers during harvest. The Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission documented over 7,000 assaults in the past two years, resulting in dozens of deaths, mass displacement, and the destruction of nearly 49,000 trees. UN officials have condemned the violence, citing a “near-total lack of accountability” for settler crimes.
Politically, Israel has advanced legislation to impose sovereignty over parts of the West Bank, including the settlement of Ma’ale Adumim, despite international condemnation and a recent International Court of Justice ruling declaring the occupation illegal. Meanwhile, Israeli forces and settlers have killed over 1,000 Palestinians and detained more than 20,000 since the Gaza war began two years ago. Observers warn that these actions reflect a broader strategy of annexation and erasure, aimed at consolidating permanent Israeli control over Palestinian lands.
