Several Palestinians suffered injuries in separate incidents across the occupied West Bank on Thursday. The latest West Bank settler attacks included shootings, physical assaults, and reported theft. Palestinian officials also said Israeli forces arrested more than 30 people across the occupied territory.
According to the Palestinian news agency Wafa, Israeli forces shot a 16-year-old boy in the chest in Bani Naim, east of Hebron. Medical teams rushed him to a nearby hospital. Doctors later confirmed that his condition was stable.
In another incident, Israeli settlers reportedly assaulted a 30-year-old Palestinian man in Abu Njeim, southeast of Bethlehem. Medical staff treated him at a nearby hospital. Later, settlers reportedly attacked members of the same family in Khirbet Emneizal in the South Hebron Hills.
Reports said the attackers stole the family’s sheep before Israeli forces reached the area. Palestinian sources said Israeli forces later assaulted local residents and arrested seven people. The incidents increased concern among local communities.
Violence involving Israeli settlers has risen since the war in Gaza began in 2023. Critics say the lack of international action has encouraged more attacks. As a result, humanitarian organizations continue to express concern about the growing violence.
Last month, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that settlers attacked Palestinians or their property about six times each day this year. According to the agency, this is the highest rate recorded since it began collecting the data.
The Anadolu news agency, citing the Palestinian Prisoners’ Media Office, reported that Israeli forces arrested 32 Palestinians across the occupied West Bank on Thursday. Thirteen of those arrests took place in Beit Ummar, north of Hebron. Officials have not released further information about the detainees.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also expressed concern after Israel granted city status to the settlement of Givat Ze’ev. His spokesperson said the decision does not change the settlement’s legal status under international law. As international attention grows, the West Bank settler attacks continue to raise concerns about civilian safety and regional stability.
