Israeli settlers burn tents, vehicles in West Bank village, say residents
Masked Israeli settlers reportedly attacked a West Bank village, burning tents and vehicles, according to residents. Such attacks on Palestinian property and people have become common, as Israeli settlers seek to expand control over large areas of land in the disputed territory.
On February 25, 2026, Israeli settlers attacked the Palestinian village of Susiya (also spelled Susya) in the southern West Bank near Hebron. The attack occurred around 8 p.m. when a masked group of about two dozen settlers dressed in black descended on the village, carrying clubs, rocks, and bottles of flammable liquid. According to residents and verified footage from Reuters and the Associated Press, the settlers set fire to vehicles and tents, sprinkling flammable liquid on a truck and setting it ablaze, throwing rocks at homes and cars (breaking a windshield), and attempting to kick in a caravan door. The Al-Baidar Human Rights Organization reported that illegal Israeli settlers torched five Palestinian homes and several vehicles in Susya village, with settlers also firing tear gas that caused four suffocation cases among residents during Ramadan.
Resident Halima Abu Eid reported daily attacks due to the village's location near a main road, stating 'They attack us almost every day... Last night they burned everywhere.' Fatima Al-Nawaja described huddling in her home as at least 30 settlers burned her family's truck and caravan. The attack spread fear among residents during Ramadan and fits a pattern of escalating attacks in the Masafer Yatta area since October 2023.
The Israeli military responded by dispatching soldiers to address reports of 'deliberate burnings of Palestinian property,' searched for suspects, and opened an investigation, but no arrests were reported. The incident occurred amid over 1,116 Palestinian deaths in the West Bank since October 2023 according to Palestinian data, with settler violence against Palestinians surging since the Gaza war began on October 7, 2023.
This attack is part of broader context where over 800 Palestinians have been displaced in 2026 per UN data, with attacks often involving nighttime raids to seize land. Footage and reports indicate organized efforts via settler social media, despite official claims of a 'fringe minority.' The International Court of Justice ruled Israel's West Bank occupation and settlements illegal in July 2024, and human rights organizations have documented similar earlier incidents in 2024 involving settlers in army uniforms, fires, and deaths in villages like Kufr Malik and al-Mughayyir.
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