Israeli settlers torch homes, vehicles in West Bank village

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
23 May 2025 22:18
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"I saw my vehicles were burned and then they beat me on the head and I am still dizzy," Akram Sabra, a resident of Bruqin, told AFP.

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Palestinian landlord Akram Sabra, 60, stands next to a vehicle burnt under attack by Israeli settlers overnight, in the West Bank village of Bruqin, near Salfit Friday, May 23, 2025 (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

Palestinian residents of Bruqin, a village in the occupied West Bank, were subjected to a violent raid overnight by Israeli settlers who burned homes and vehicles and physically assaulted villagers in what locals describe as a deliberate campaign to drive them from their land. The attack, one of many in recent weeks, is part of a broader escalation of settler violence fueled by the Israeli occupation and emboldened by the regime's extremist leadership.

A violent attack by settlers on the towns of Bruqin and Kafr ad-Dik in Salfit: homes and cars set on fire, gunfire, and clashes with residents. pic.twitter.com/ulEg15j9E9
, Sameh Ahmed 𓂆 🇵🇸 (@PalPress24) May 22, 2025

Speaking to AFP, Akram Sabra, a resident of Bruqin, described the horrifying scene: "I saw my vehicles were burned and then they beat me on the head and I am still dizzy." Sabra said dozens, possibly over a hundred, settlers descended on the village at night, throwing Molotov cocktails and attacking anyone in their way. One of the incendiary devices was hurled at his son's home.

Israeli settlers set fire to a number of homes and vehicles whilst attacking the village of Bruqin west of Salfit. pic.twitter.com/DeCjcn1Nxz
, Eye on Palestine (@EyeonPalestine) May 22, 2025

Another resident, Mustafa Khater, also told AFP: "They come at us almost on a daily basis, even sometimes several times a day. They attack us with stones and abuse."

The Israeli military acknowledged the incident but took no immediate action against the perpetrators. "Upon receiving the report, [Israeli Occupation Force] soldiers were dispatched to the scene. The suspects fled prior to the arrival of [IOF] soldiers," a spokesperson said, adding that the attack is under review. No arrests have been reported.

Israeli occupation police forces have been widely accused of complicity in settler violence across the occupied West Bank, with mounting evidence showing that they routinely fail to intervene during attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians.

Human rights organizations and eyewitnesses have documented numerous incidents in which settlers, often armed and acting in groups, assault Palestinians, destroy homes, uproot olive trees, and vandalize property, while Israeli police either stand by passively or actively protect the perpetrators.

Despite the frequency and severity of these attacks, arrests of settlers are exceedingly rare, and convictions even rarer, fostering a culture of impunity that encourages further violence. This systematic inaction has led critics to argue that Israeli law enforcement is not merely negligent but effectively complicit in the ongoing displacement and harassment of Palestinians in the West Bank.

A number of Palestinians were injured, homes and vehicles were burned by dozens of Israeli settlers who attacked the village of Bruqin, west of Salfit. pic.twitter.com/9h8axQV8FH
, Eye on Palestine (@EyeonPalestine) May 23, 2025

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), over 11,000 Palestinians in Bruqin and nearby Kafr ad Dik have been effectively locked in by Israeli forces, with 28 documented settler attacks in that area alone in the week ending May 19. OCHA also reported 1,449 settler attacks across the West Bank last year, marking the highest figure in more than two decades.

Forced Displacement

The latest violence comes amid "Israel's" largest military operation in the West Bank since the Second Intifada, particularly targeting cities like Jenin and Tulkarm. These offensives have displaced over 40,000 Palestinians, raising fears of a broader strategy aimed at depopulating Palestinian areas under the guise of security operations.

Extremist figures of "Israel's" government, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, have openly called for the annexation of the West Bank and the expulsion of Palestinians, statements that human rights advocates say legitimize both settler attacks and state violence.

The West Bank, under Israeli military occupation since 1967, is central to Palestinian aspirations for statehood. Despite the near-universal international consensus that Israeli settlements are illegal, the occupation continues to expand and intensify, often with the tacit or open support of the Israeli regime.