Report: Escalating international reactions to settler violence and settlement plans

Nablus - Ofoq News - The National Office for Land Defense and Settlement Resistance said today, Saturday, in its periodic report, that there is a rising trend of international reactions to settler violence and terrorism and settlement policy.

The report explained that under the pressure of solidarity movements with the Palestinian people, a new path of international reactions began to the violence and terrorism of settlers and the settlement policy pursued by the Tel Aviv government, especially the projects that threaten the future of the political settlement based on the so-called two-state solution, such as the settlement project in (E1) and other destructive settlement projects that aim to dismember the West Bank and its urban areas.

The report added that in a remarkable situation, Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot said last Monday that his country was tired of the delay in European action against Israel, and decided to take national measures to put pressure on its government, stressing that changing its behavior requires a unified European position.

The report indicated that Brivo stressed that his country unequivocally condemns the settlement project (E1), due to its connection to violations of international law, warning companies considering participating in it of legal consequences and risks affecting their reputation, and stressing that the continuation of these practices makes action more urgent as the Israeli elections approach.

The report pointed out that Prevot indicated that Belgium, in cooperation with other European countries, called on the European Union to take concrete measures against Israel, including banning products coming from illegal settlements, explaining that his country took this decision at the national level, but believes that its generalization in Europe will give it greater impact.

The report confirmed that the minister renewed the demand to suspend the trade agreement between the European Union and Israel, even temporarily, considering that the combination of diplomatic action and economic pressure could contribute to changing the behavior of the Israeli government.

The report added that the British announcement, on September 8, of banning the import of settlement goods into the West Bank, sparked a confrontation between London and Tel Aviv, which was quick to respond with the decision to close the British Consulate in Jerusalem. He pointed out that Britain was not satisfied with the trade embargo on settlement goods, but its foreign minister went on to accuse the Israeli occupation government of turning a blind eye to “ethnic cleansing” carried out by settlers in the Palestinian West Bank.

The report explained that the wheel of sanctions against the occupying state began to turn in a path reminiscent of the path of sanctions imposed on the apartheid regime in South Africa, which went through several stages, which began with symbolic and voluntary pressure in the 1950s, then turned into mandatory and strict sanctions in the 1980s, and ultimately led to the collapse of that regime.

The report pointed out that political, economic, and human rights circles in Israel have begun to realize the danger of this path, and are warning the government of its repercussions. In this context, the Israeli “Peace Now” organization, in a letter sent to the Ministry of Housing, the Israel Lands Authority, and the State Property Custodian, called for warning companies and banks against submitting offers to build projects in the E1 area.

The report indicated that the organization called on these authorities to warn companies, contractors, banks and financial institutions, explaining in its letter that these parties may not be aware of the risks of imposing international sanctions as a result of participating in construction tenders in the aforementioned region, as three tenders are currently being moved forward, including more than 3,400 residential units and a commercial complex.

The report confirmed that the message indicated that several countries had already warned companies against participating in construction work, warning that the risks may extend to include banks and other parties that finance, guarantee, or support projects.

The report added, quoting the Zaman Yisrael newspaper, that the fears of financial market officials and Israeli economists have escalated about the potential economic repercussions of settlement construction tenders in the E1 area, east of occupied Jerusalem, in light of warnings that proceeding with the project may expose Israeli financial institutions to international sanctions, against the backdrop of financing settlements or providing bank guarantees to companies participating in it.

The report explained that what the newspaper revealed cannot be read as a mere technical or administrative dispute regarding risk management, but rather is an expression of a structural contradiction in the Israeli political and economic system. He pointed out that economic officials' warnings of a possible confrontation with European countries, and of repercussions that could affect financial institutions and go beyond the real estate sector, reveal the clash of settlement expansion policies with the limits of integration into the global financial system.

The report pointed out that these warnings are of particular importance, because the companies competing for project tenders need bank guarantees amounting to 14.4 million shekels, stressing that banks are not just a neutral financial intermediary, but rather play an essential role in providing the financial tools necessary to implement the settlement project.

In a related context, the report confirmed that the policy of expanding settlement activities, and planting terrorist outposts and pastoral settlement farms, is not the only thing that drives the course of sanctions against the occupying state, but that settler violence and terrorism have also come under the microscope in the capitals of political decision-making, especially in European countries, in light of the resulting displacement and ethnic cleansing sponsored by the occupation authorities.

The report indicated that In Depth News, an independent German news network with a progressive orientation, which supports peace and disarmament, embraces the issues of the “Global South,” opposes the occupation and supports Palestinian rights, warned in a report on October 12 of the escalation of displacement and settlement operations and attacks against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

He added that the network confirmed that these practices contribute to expanding Israeli control over the land and pushing residents to leave their areas, in the absence of international accountability. She explained that what is happening in the West Bank is not limited to separate military operations, but rather takes a gradual form of displacement, through the demolition of homes, settler attacks, raids on homes at night, depriving Palestinian communities of water, and imposing severe restrictions on movement.

According to the report, settlers have carried out more than 1,200 attacks that resulted in injuries or damage since the beginning of 2026, an average of six attacks per day, and this led to the displacement of 37,135 Palestinians, while more than 190 water and sanitation facilities were damaged or destroyed as of last June.

The report also referred to the warning of the Israeli researcher, Dr. Shira Ephron, in an opinion article published in the New York Times on the 9th of this month, of the expansion and deepening of the international isolation imposed on Israel. She confirmed that Western countries, such as Luxembourg, Britain, Canada, and France, have taken unprecedented measures, which nine other European countries intend to expand, reaching the point of imposing sanctions, targeting settlement products, and banning the sale of Israeli bonds, as a result of the policies of the current government, especially the decision to build in the E1 area, the escalation of settler attacks, and the silence of the American administration.

The report pointed out that the researcher pointed out in her article that none of Benjamin Netanyahu’s competitors in the upcoming elections, such as Avigdor Lieberman, Naftali Bennett, and Gadi Eisenkot, are proposing a plan for radical change, but rather are content with proposing projects to manage the conflict or impose self-rule or partial annexation, which will not stop the path of international isolation unless any future government takes practical steps to curb settler violence and reopen a horizon for Palestinian sovereignty.

In this context, the report stated that 47 Palestinian families in Khirbet al-Ras al-Ahmar, southeast of Tubas in the northern Jordan Valley, are currently facing the threat of forced displacement, in light of a siege that has been ongoing for about 30 days, and the occupation army closing all entry points, including dirt roads leading to the community, cutting off water supplies, and preventing the entry of fodder, in conjunction with threats made by settlers to force residents to leave.

He added that these conditions force people to leave their homes at night or in the early hours of dawn on foot, for fear of being spotted and their vehicles confiscated by the occupation forces. They are also forced to use animals to transport their basic needs from neighboring towns and villages, after life in the community has become more difficult, with livestock breeders, who constitute the main source of income, being harmed, and students’ access to their schools being disrupted, while families were forced to leave under the weight of threats and the depletion of water and fodder.

The report confirmed that the residents’ suffering is not limited to the closure of roads, as citizens confirm that the siege imposed on the community escalated over a period of about three years, before reaching a dangerous stage in mid-September, when the occupation army dug a trench at the last remaining outlet, which was only suitable for the passage of animals and agricultural tractors.

On another level, the report, citing the Peace Now organization, indicated that the “harvest-coordination orders” issued by the occupation army during this year’s olive harvest season reflect the reality of the policy pursued by the government, as settlers illegally seize more hilltops, with government encouragement and support, while the army closes vast areas to Palestinians under the pretext of “preventing friction,” within a system based on the theft of property and plunder, and constitutes, according to the organization, a disgrace to the Palestinians. State of Israel.

The report confirmed that the settlers’ terrorism during this year’s olive harvest season exceeded all limits, noting that last year, as in previous years, military coordination was granted very late in the season, that is, after part of the crop had rotted or been stolen by the settlers, and it was limited to brief periods not exceeding a day or two, which prevented the farmers from being able to complete the harvesting process. He pointed out that the condition of “coordination” has practically become a mechanism that prevents Palestinians from accessing their ancestral lands.

In the same context, the report stated that the 2026 olive harvest season in the West Bank is witnessing an unprecedented escalation in attacks by settlers and occupation forces, which has doubled the daily suffering of Palestinian farmers. According to the latest data reported by the National Office Observatory, more than 150 direct attacks were recorded from the beginning of this month until the middle of October, about 100 of which were carried out by settlers, while 25 attacks were carried out with joint participation between the army and settlers, and the army carried out 20 attacks alone.

The report indicated that casualties were recorded among foreign and Palestinian solidarity activists as they confronted these attacks, as happened in the Deir Ibzi’ area, west of Ramallah, in addition to martyrs falling as a result of direct attacks with bullets, severe beatings, and pepper spraying, as happened in the Ramin Plain and Bazaria area, east of Tulkarm, where this resulted in the martyrdom of farmer Ali Hassan Al-Bazzari and the wounding of nine other citizens with varying injuries.

The report added that these attacks affected various governorates. In Salfit Governorate, specifically in Qarawat Bani Hassan, Rafat, and Wadi Al-Shaer, local authorities documented the injury of more than 20 farmers as a result of physical attacks and severe beatings, including the two brothers Muhammad and Nasrallah Khafash, and the farmer Ismail Abu Asba in Rafat. In Ramallah and Al-Bireh Governorate, nine infections were recorded in the town of Deir Abu Mishal, and five infections were recorded among farmers and their families in the village of Rantis.

The report pointed out that a citizen and two of his children were taken to the hospital, after they were attacked with pepper gas near the Al-Kaabna Bedouin community. In the Jerusalem Governorate, specifically in Anata and Abu Dis, a number of citizens were injured and bruised as a result of beatings and abuse while confronting settlers who burned their trees and prevented them from working, to name but a few.

The report emphasized that settler terrorism did not exclude journalists, noting that the world witnessed the horrific crime of attacking Heidi Levin, a correspondent for the Washington Post, who was covering the suffering of olive pickers in the town of Abu Falah, south of the city of Ramallah, in the presence of forces from the occupation army.

The report added that this came in light of the commander of the central region in the occupation army signing special orders prohibiting Palestinians from entering areas with an area of ​​about 88,300 dunams of land, unless they obtained prior coordination with the army. He pointed out that this step represents an increase of approximately 30% compared to 2025, when the area of ​​land requiring military coordination reached 69,000 dunums.

On the other hand, the report indicated that the area of ​​land that the occupation army prevented settlers from entering, under the pretext of preventing acts of violence and disturbances committed by them, decreased from about 10,700 dunums in 2025 to 6,890 dunums in 2026.

The weekly violations documented by the National Land Defense Office were as follows during the reporting period:

In Jerusalem, the report stated that settlers stormed olive fields in the town of Mikhmas, coinciding with farmers heading to their lands to pick olives. He added that other settlers surrounded the Al-Mahtoush and Al-Tubna Bedouin communities, near the Khan Al-Ahmar area, with barbed wire, in a move aimed at imposing a siege on them, restricting the movement of citizens and shepherds, and cutting off communication between the two communities. He also pointed out that settlers set fire to a mosque and a vehicle in the town of Mikhmas.

In the town of Beit Hanina, the report explained that the occupation authorities forced citizen Fadel Al-Rajabi to self-demolish his house, under the pretext of building without a permit. They also demolished three houses in the Al-Ashqaria neighborhood in the town, belonging to the Al-Shawamra family. In the village of Qalandiya, the occupation authorities handed the Al-Razem family a decision to evacuate a residential building, under the pretext of issuing a judicial decision in this regard, while the occupation bulldozers demolished two houses in the Wadi Qaddum neighborhood in the town of Silwan, belonging to the citizen Hani Al-Salaymeh and his father.

In the Hebron Governorate, the report indicated that a 79-year-old woman was moderately injured, following an attack by settlers from the “Adorin” settlement outpost, recently established in the Khallet Al-Farn area in the village of Birin, on olive pickers, as they unleashed their dogs on the farmers while they were picking the fruits. He added that one of the dogs bit the upper part of the elderly woman's thigh, causing her moderate injuries, before ambulance crews transported her to the hospital to receive treatment.

The report also stated that settlers attacked citizens of the Al-Naamain family while they were picking olives in Khirbet Aqawawis in Masafer Yatta, and tried to seize their equipment, before preventing them from continuing to pick their crops. In the Khallet Al-Humus area, south of Yatta, settlers closed the road leading to the residence of citizen Ayoub Obaid Al-Masry, coinciding with carrying out provocative tours in the area.

In Khirbet Soba, south of Hebron, the report stated that the occupation forces demolished an agricultural room and a water tank belonging to a citizen of the Qawasmi family, destroyed stone chains in large areas of citizens’ lands, and uprooted a number of olive trees, almond trees, and fruit trees.

In a related context, the report indicated that a citizen was injured with bruises and bruises as a result of an attack by settlers on the residents’ homes in Khirbet Aqawawis in Masafer Yatta, where they assaulted the residents, which led to the elderly person, Jibrin Musa Al-Na’min, suffering bruises and bruises, after which he was transferred by ambulance crews to Yatta Governmental Hospital to receive treatment.

In Bethlehem Governorate, the report stated that settlers brought in new caravans and transported them to the Abu Zaarour area, east of the village of Minya, while others severely beat four elderly farmers and detained them for hours while they were picking olives near a settlement south of Bethlehem. He explained that the settlers attacked the farmers while they were on their lands, and severely beat them, including the citizen Ibrahim Issa, who was subjected to a severe assault and was subsequently transferred to the hospital, where he is in the intensive care unit in a coma. He also pointed out that settlers beat up three citizens in the Abu Najim area, including Dirar Salah, who was taken to the hospital to receive treatment.

In Ramallah and Al-Bireh Governorate, the report stated that settlers cut off the electricity supply to the “Al-Marj” area in the town of Deir Dibwan, after storming it and uprooting electricity poles. He added that ten citizens were injured by rubber-coated metal bullets, including journalists, during an attack by settlers and occupation forces on farmers while they were picking olives in the village of Deir Abu Mishal.

The report indicated that settlers attacked citizens in the village of Al-Mughayir, stole olives, broke a number of trees, and released their sheep onto citizens’ agricultural lands in the eastern plain area of ​​the village. In Wadi Abwein, the occupation forces expelled the farmers from their lands, while a video clip documented the moments when the soldiers expelled the farmers and prevented them from picking olives.

The report pointed out that in Ain Yabroud, settlers seized a vehicle belonging to the village council and stole bags of olives and agricultural equipment that was inside. The occupation forces also expelled farmers from their lands in the village of Kafr Ni'ma, and prevented them from continuing to harvest olives, while settlers, accompanied by the occupation army, attacked farmers in the Khallet Ali area of ​​the village of Barqa, forcing them to leave their lands, and warning them not to return to them to continue harvesting. In the town of Atara, settlers stole olives.

In Nablus Governorate, the report stated that settlers from the pastoral settlement outpost in the Wadi Al-Shaer area attempted to attack the people of the eastern village of Lubban and prevent them from picking olives, but their attempt failed, and they were forced to withdraw and return to the outpost. He added that the occupation bulldozers uprooted more than 200 old olive trees in the Al-Soor area, east of the village, before their owners could harvest their fruits, depriving them of the harvest season.

He also pointed out that settlers detained three citizens from the town of Qablan in the Al-Mantar area near the “Avitar” outpost, and attacked the citizens in the Al-Shajara neighborhood on the eastern side of Douma. In the Dalba area in the village of Burqa, settlers and occupation forces attacked farmers and forced them to leave their lands, while settlers attacked a house and demolished a wall in the Ras al-Ain area in the town of Qasra.

The report explained that settlers set up mobile homes and placed construction equipment on citizens’ lands in the village of Salem, under the protection of the occupation forces. In the village of Yatma, five female citizens, including an elderly woman, suffered from suffocation as a result of the occupation forces firing tear gas canisters at them while picking olives, under the pretext that the area is located in Area C.

The report pointed out that settlers attacked farmers while they were picking olives in the area between the towns of Qasra and Jalud, and stole harvesting equipment. In the Masoudiya area, settlers cut off electricity to the area for the fifth time in more than two months, in an attempt to harass citizens.

In Tulkarm Governorate, the report said that settlers, protected by the occupation forces, attacked farmers in the Dahr al-Abd area in the town of Qaffin, and stole the olive crop and harvesting equipment. He added that two female citizens were injured in a settler attack, after they were beaten while picking olives in the town of Beit Lid.

He also pointed out that settlers forced a number of farmers to leave their lands in the Wadi Al-Jamaa and Ramin Plain areas at gunpoint, and prevented them from continuing to harvest olives.

In Salfit Governorate, the report stated that a young man, Diaa Nazih Naji, from the town of Kafr al-Dik, was injured after settlers attacked him while he was picking olives on his land located west of the town. He added that the occupation soldiers and settlers fired live bullets to prevent farmers from reaching their lands and expelling them from them in the northern area of ​​the town of Deir Ballut, while settlers attacked a farmer’s vehicle while he was on his land in the same area.

The report explained that the occupation forces prevented citizens from picking olives in the towns of Al-Zawiya and Marda, and detained a number of women in the Al-Ain area, south of the town of Al-Zawiya, and prevented them from continuing to pick. The occupation forces, accompanied by settlers, also stormed the Khirbet area, east of the town of Marda, checked citizens’ identities, and prevented them from continuing to pick olives.

The report indicated that settlers and the occupation army expelled all Palestinian families from the lands of the western region in the town of Derastia, while settlers stole olive fruits from some areas of the town. In the village of Haris, the occupation forces demolished three vehicle repair shops, used for vehicle mechanics and seating.

In Jenin Governorate, the report stated that settlers stole 16 bags of olives from the vehicle of the citizen Rabi’ al-Mukhal, which was loaded with 70 bags of olives and was detained by the Israeli occupation forces at the Dotan military checkpoint near the town of Ya’bad.

He added that a group of settlers attacked olive pickers in the town of Ya'bad, south of Jenin, assaulted them, stole the olives, and forced them to leave their lands, despite having received prior coordination to pick them. He also pointed out that the occupation forces fired poison gas bombs at farmers from the towns of Al-Fandaqumiya, Jaba, and Wasila Al-Dhahr, as they were heading to their agricultural lands to pick olives, and forced them to leave.

In the Jordan Valley, the report stated that settlers beat a young man in the village of Al-Duyuk Al-Tahta, near Wadi Al-Qalt, west of Jericho, while others attempted to steal a herd of livestock from a citizen in the northern Yarza community, but the citizens confronted them and were able to recover the herd.

He added that settlers blocked the road leading to the northern Yarza community, located northeast of Tayasir, with stones, and attacked homes surrounding the Aqabat Tayasir area, making it more difficult for residents to move around and threatening the stability of Bedouin communities in the area.

The report concluded by noting that settlers damaged irrigation networks and agricultural lines, and stole valves and water meters belonging to farmers in the northern Yarza community, east of Tubas.