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Violence by Israeli settlers across the occupied West Bank has intensified in recent months.
Attacks on Palestinian towns and villages, the blockade of homes, and interference with essential services have continued, while effective action against those responsible has remained limited. Rights activists say this has helped foster a growing culture of impunity among settlers.
Recent events in the Palestinian village of Qusra, south of Nablus, have highlighted the seriousness of the situation. Israeli settlers have allegedly blockaded the homesy of three Palestinian families there since Sunday, cutting off their water and electricity during the siege.
Analysts, rights activists and several members of Israel’s parliament, however, have questioned the government’s statement. They argue that it is difficult to accept the government’s attempt to distance itself from the violence when Israeli forces have failed to effectively stop the settlers’ blockade in Qusra.2
Touma-Sliman also alleged that some settlers have been allowed to complete military service while serving in roles protecting their own illegal settlements. She further claimed that the government protects and arms them.
According to her, supporting the settlers, rather than opposing them, has become part of government policy.
Yair Dvori of the Israeli human rights organisation B’Tselem said the events in Qusra were not isolated. Similar violence has been seen across the West Bank for decades, he said.
According to Dvori, the government condemns settler violence when international criticism mounts, but similar incidents resume once international attention shifts elsewhere.
In Dvori’s view, settler violence cannot be separated from state violence. He argues that both serve the same objective: displacing Palestinians from their land and creating conditions for its seizure.
Meanwhile, critics say Israel’s presence and settlement activity in the West Bank have continued to expand despite international law and the International Court of Justice’s position on Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has also documented growing concern over settler violence in the West Bank.
Nev Gordon, a professor of international law at Queen Mary University of London and author of “Israel’s Occupation,” warned that violence could increase in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza as Israel’s election approaches. He said uncertainty over the future of political power could encourage settler and far-right groups to act more aggressively while they still have the opportunity.
The Netanyahu government’s close political ties with settler groups have also drawn longstanding criticism. The participation of senior members of his Likud party in settler conferences has further fuelled the controversy. Some of these gatherings have reportedly included discussions of controversial proposals to remove Palestinians from Gaza.
After recent violence in the Palestinian village of Tal, the United Nations warned that the West Bank was moving towards serious instability. Despite that warning, Netanyahu has reportedly pledged to recognise additional illegal settlements.
The Qusra incident, therefore, cannot be viewed simply as an attack or blockade affecting a few families in one village. It has renewed questions about the relationship between settler violence, state policy and political protection in the occupied West Bank. Unless the government’s condemnation is followed by meaningful accountability, its assurances are likely to face continued scepticism.
