Netanyahu Condemns Settler Violence in West Bank, Calls for Perpetrators to Be Arrested

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned recent attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, describing the perpetrators as a “handful of rioters” whose actions are damaging Israel’s international standing.

Netanyahu’s comments came after dozens of masked Israeli settlers attacked the Palestinian villages of Qusra and Jalud, near Nablus, on Saturday, in the latest escalation of violence in the area.

In a statement, Netanyahu described the attacks as “criminal acts of violence” and called on security forces to take action against those responsible.

He said the violence was unfairly harming the wider settler community, interfering with the Israeli military’s operations and damaging Israel’s reputation internationally.

The latest violence was particularly intense in Qusra, where settlers reportedly surrounded and entered a Palestinian home while residents were inside.

According to witnesses cited by Reuters, seven Palestinians were trapped inside the property during the incident. Israeli forces later arrived at the scene.

One resident, Luay Bayruti, alleged that Israeli soldiers handcuffed, blindfolded and assaulted some of those inside the house. The Israeli military said its forces were responding to a disturbance and attempting to disperse rioters.

Netanyahu said security forces had acted to end the incident and seized three vehicles, but he did not announce whether any of the alleged attackers had been arrested.

The violence was not confined to Qusra.

In nearby Jalud, masked settlers reportedly attacked a Palestinian woman and an NBC News crew that was interviewing her about her family’s displacement.

The attackers allegedly threw stones and struck members of the group with sticks. The incident left several people injured, including an NBC correspondent, according to reports.

The incidents have drawn growing international attention as settler violence in the West Bank continues to escalate.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has documented more than 1,330 settler attacks resulting in Palestinian casualties or property damage during the first seven months of 2026, according to Xinhua.

Netanyahu’s statement represents a relatively rare public condemnation of settler violence, particularly as pressure grows on Israel over attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank.

The prime minister has sought to distinguish the attackers from the wider Israeli settler population, describing them as extremists acting outside the law.

The latest violence comes amid heightened tensions across the occupied West Bank, where Israeli military operations, settlement expansion and attacks by settlers have continued to fuel clashes with Palestinians.

The situation has also become an increasingly sensitive diplomatic issue, with the United States and other Western governments pressing Israel to address settler violence.

For now, Netanyahu has instructed security authorities to act against those responsible, but it remains unclear whether the latest condemnation will result in significant prosecutions or arrests.