At least 54 Palestinians were injured in Israeli settler attacks in the occupied West Bank on Friday, in a surge of violence after Israel announced new measures that embolden settlers and could pave the way for annexation.
Palestinian media reported a large-scale assault in the village of Talfit, south of Nablus, on Friday morning, in which settlers fired live ammunition and tear gas at Palestinian residents under the protection of Israeli security forces, injuring dozens.
The occupied West Bank has a long history of Israeli settler and military violence, as well as land seizures. Last year saw unprecedented levels of violence, which have been on the rise since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023.
June 2025 saw the highest number of Palestinians wounded by Israeli settlers in a single month, with 100 injuries, according to UN figures. As such, the violence on Friday marks a new surge in violence.
The attacks come days after Israel’s security cabinet agreed changes to land policies in the occupied West Bank. The measures have been designed to make it easier for settlers to acquire Palestinian land, in areas that until now had been under the Palestinian Authority’s administration.
Critics have described the move as a de facto annexation of the territory that would crush any prospect of Palestinian statehood. In a joint statement, Arab and Islamic countries condemned the measures, calling them illegal actions.
Separately, Israeli forces carried out a series of raids across the occupied West Bank on Friday, detaining at least 24 Palestinians.
Seven Palestinian families also dismantled their homes in the Al Maita area of the northern Jordan Valley after repeated settler attacks.
