A Violent, Untenable Situation
- Noa Sattath
- 14 hours ago
- 3 min read
July 28, 2026
Dear friend,
Whether it is on an individual level, a communal level, or more broadly, settler violence consistently receives implicit support by the authorities meant to protect the Palestinian population, whether by neglect or through overt cooperation. Settlers feel increasingly emboldened, Palestinians feel increasingly threatened, and the entire situation has become increasingly untenable.
This past weekend saw another chapter in the escalation of the violence in the West Bank. A confrontation between settlers and Palestinians in the village of Tell ignited a wave of raids and retaliatory attacks against Palestinians. Settlers raided villages, threw stones at homes, and assaulted and injured residents. Cars, fields, and two mosques were set on fire.
The military characterized what happened in Tell as a terrorist attack perpetrated by Palestinians (despite the fact that it involved a planned incursion of armed Israeli settlers), and announced a broad counterterrorism operation in the northern West Bank. On Friday and Saturday more than 60 Palestinians were arrested, approximately 20 of them relatives of those who were killed in the village of Tell, and extensive movement restrictions were imposed.
In response to the escalation in violence by settlers and the military’s decision to respond to settler violence by launching an operation against Palestinians, ACRI sent a legal letter to the IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and the Central Command Commander Avi Bluth, demanding an end to the collective punishment of the Palestinian population in the West Bank. I want to share part of the letter, written by ACRI lawyers Reut Shaer and Hila Sharon, because it encapsulates the fundamental problems underlying a serious situation that affects the lives of tens of thousands and that is quickly deteriorating.
For many months, the Palestinian population in the West Bank has been subjected to increased violence, movement restrictions, home demolitions, displacement, and economic pressure, affecting all areas of life and disrupting their daily lives. The infringement on the human rights of protected residents is deepening and expanding.
In recent days, we have witnessed another orchestrated round of violent incidents, in what appears to be a deliberate effort to drive a deterioration and downward spiral in the security situation in the West Bank.
Instead of preventing the planned security escalation and protecting the safety and lives of West Bank residents, the military repeatedly initiates further escalations, thereby providing backing and encouragement for further settler attacks that will claim additional lives.
Were the military acting in accordance with its obligation to maintain public order and protect the security of Palestinian residents in the West Bank, it would protect the area's Palestinian residents, work to eradicate the nationalist violence flourishing in the outposts, and prevent armed incursions by Israelis into Palestinian communities.
Constant fear, uncertainty, and being subject to the whims of armed hooligans with implicit or explicit state backing is no way to live. We will continue working tirelessly to ensure the rights of the protected population, and to put a stop to the misery and human rights violations that have become endemic to the West Bank. Donate Now.
More News from ACRI
Protective Presence activists in the West Bank protect, deescalate, mediate, and document. Learn more about what they experienced and observed in the latest Finger on the Pulse Report.
With rare exceptions, Israeli citizens cannot vote absentee. It is illegal to prevent them from flying in and exercising their fundamental democratic right to vote.
The Shin Bet is surveilling journalists, their sources, and the people around them.
For many reasons, using stun grenades in small, enclosed spaces is a terrible idea.
If no one enforces the laws meant to protect exploited workers who are victims of human trafficking, the laws are essentially meaningless.
