Settlers torch vehicles and olive trees in West Bank attack

Israeli settlers set fire to dozens of vehicles and dozens of olive trees early Wednesday in an attack on a village in the northern West Bank. The Palestinian General Authority of Civil Affairs, meanwhile, documented 32 settler attacks on Palestinian property across the West Bank over the past 24 hours.

According to local sources cited by the Palestinian news agency WAFA, dozens of settlers attacked the Al-Qanater area, north of Al-Lubban Al-Sharqiya village and south of Nablus, early Wednesday. They set fire to more than 100 vehicles at an auto parts warehouse and another 10 belonging to residents outside homes in the area. Additional vehicles at a repair workshop in the area were also torched.

Several residents suffered smoke inhalation as the fires spread, engulfing large areas of land, trees and vehicles. Yaqub Owais, head of the Al-Lubban Al-Sharqiya village council, estimated the losses at more than 1 million shekels ($315,000), as reported by WAFA.

Owais said the fires also destroyed dozens of olive trees, warehouses and streetlights, cutting off electricity to the area.

In a separate attack on Wednesday, settlers targeted olive pickers in the Al-Wadi Al-Gharbi area, west of Deir Istiya and northwest of Salfit. A Palestinian woman was injured in the head after settlers pelted her with stones, according to WAFA.

Settler attacks have intensified in recent months. The Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission said the attack on Al-Lubban Al-Sharqiya was part of a recurring pattern of arson aimed at undermining residents’ security and livelihoods.

The commission, which is affiliated with the Palestinian government and reports to the Cabinet, said it had documented 1,182 arson attacks by Israeli forces and settlers across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, between Oct. 7, 2023, and Sept. 30, 2026. Of these, 809 targeted property, vehicles and facilities, while 373 targeted land.

The commission noted that Al-Lubban Al-Sharqiya had previously suffered arson attacks in April and October. It stressed that the damage goes beyond the value of destroyed property: such attacks halt work, disrupt household incomes and leave families struggling to rebuild. Burning fields and trees also ruins entire agricultural seasons and raises the cost of remaining on the land.

The commission held the Israeli occupation army responsible, saying its records included not only arson attacks carried out directly by Israeli forces but also settler attacks conducted in the presence or under the protection of Israeli troops. It also cited the obstruction of residents and emergency crews trying to reach attack sites.

The protection afforded to perpetrators and the lack of accountability allow these assaults to continue, turning individual property losses into mounting pressure on entire villages and communities.

In July, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that police data showed the number of open cases involving Israeli settler crimes against Palestinians had risen from 139 in 2019 to 779 in 2025. Only 6.6% of those cases resulted in indictments.